What’s the difference between basic and applied research?

• The lab vs. the "real world," understanding vs. creating change

As you read about psychologists isolating and controlling behavior in research labs, you may have thought, "But this isn’t what real life is like." And that’s true; our everyday life is complicated and "messy." In order for psychologists to isolate specific factors that influence behavior, however, they do their research in a lab. This is called basic research. The goal of basic research is to test theories about behavior and mental processes, and "basic researchers" often focus on the goal of understanding or explaining behavior.

Applied research, in contrast, is more directly concerned with the goal of creating change. Psychologists who do research in "the real world" apply the findings from basic research to improve people’s lives. And, in turn, basic researchers use the findings from applied research to refine their theories about behavior.

Together, findings from basic research and applied research help psychologists to describe people’s behavior and mental processes, make predictions about behavior, understand the causes of behavior, and create positive change in people’s lives. Clinical psychologists are involved in both basic and applied research. For example, some clinical psychologists conduct research on the basic characteristics of emotions such as sadness and fear. Other clinical psychologists are involved in research on effective ways to treat problems such as depression and anxiety.