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Reciprocity is a process of exchanging things with other people to gain a mutual benefit. The norm of reciprocity (sometimes referred to as the rule of reciprocity) is a social norm where, if someone does something for you, you then feel obligated to return the favor.

If someone talks about something being a two-way street or give-and-take, these are other words and phrases for reciprocity. Learn how reciprocity develops, types of reciprocity, how it’s used, and more.

How Reciprocity Develops

The socialization process plays an important role in developing the need to reciprocate. Through experience, children learn to share with others, take turns, and engage in reciprocal actions. Reciprocity plays an important role in the development and continuation of relationships. It also plays an important role in persuading others to adopt certain beliefs or behaviors.

If you have ever felt obligated to do something for someone because they first did something for you, then you were likely responding to the norm of reciprocity. This is an example of just one type of social norm that can have a powerful influence on our behavior.

When your new neighbors bring over a plate of cookies to welcome you to the neighborhood, for instance, you might feel obligated to return the favor when they ask you to take care of their dog while they are on vacation.

Types of Reciprocity

There are three main types of reciprocity:

• Generalized reciprocity: This form often involves exchanges within families or friends. There is no expectation of a returned favor; instead, people simply do something for another person based on the assumption that the other person would do the same thing for them. This type of reciprocity is related to altruism.
• Balanced reciprocity: This type involves a calculation of the value of the exchange and an expectation that the favor will be returned within a specified time frame. For example, someone might exchange something they have, whether it is a skill or tangible item, for something of perceived equal value.
• Negative reciprocity: This form of reciprocity happens when one party involved in the exchange is trying to get more about it than the other person. Selling a much-needed item at an inflated price is one example of negative reciprocity.

Uses for Reciprocity

One area where this norm is commonly employed is in the field of marketing. Marketers utilize a broad range of strategies to convince consumers to make purchases. Some are straightforward such as sales, coupons, and special promotions. Others are far more subtle and make use of principles of human psychology of which many people are not even aware.

Charities also sometimes use reciprocity in an attempt to increase their donations. They might send you free greeting cards or an ink pen, for example, in the hopes that you will reciprocate by donating money to their organization.

Examples of Reciprocity

Examples of reciprocity in business include:

• A salesperson giving a freebie to a potential customer, hoping that it will lead them to return the favor by purchasing something
• A leader offering attention and mentorship to followers in exchange for loyalty
• Offering customers some valuable information in exchange for signing up for future marketing offers

In relationships, reciprocity often looks like supporting one another in different situations. For example, you might comfort your partner when something doesn’t go their way. In return, they will provide comfort and support when you are having a bad day.

Impact of Reciprocity

Reciprocity has a few obvious benefits. For one thing, taking care of others helps the survival of the species.

Reciprocity also allows people to get things done that they would not be able to do on their own. By working together or exchanging services, people can accomplish more than they would individually.

One seminal experiment showed how powerful reciprocity could be in the real world. In 1974, sociologist Phillip Kunz mailed out handwritten Christmas cards with a note and photograph of him and his family to approximately 600 randomly selected people. All of the recipients of the cards were complete strangers. Shortly after mailing the cards, responses began trickling in.

Kunz received nearly 200 replies. Why would so many people reply to a complete stranger? This is the rule of reciprocity at work. Since Kunz had done something for them (sent a thoughtful note during the holiday season), many recipients felt obligated to return the favor.

Reciprocity and Persuasion

There are also a number of persuasion techniques that employ the tactic of reciprocity. These strategies are used by people who are trying to persuade you to take action or conform with a request, such as salespeople or politicians.

One of these is known as the “that’s-not-all” technique. Let’s say you’re shopping for a new mobile phone. The salesperson shows your phone and tells you the price, but you’re still not quite sure. If the salesperson offers to add a phone case at no additional charge, you might feel like they’re doing you a favor, which in turn might make you feel obligated to buy the phone.

Reciprocity in Relationships

Reciprocity is a critical component of a healthy relationship. It involves a mutual exchange of support, emotional investment, care, and love. Reciprocity in a relationship is characterized by:

• Each partner feeling able to share their needs
• A willingness to meet the needs of the other person
• Open and honest communication
• Interdependence, in which partners support one another while maintaining a clear sense of self
• Emotional reciprocity, which involves showing empathy and support for another person and the return of that same empathy and support when you need it

It is not a transactional exchange where each person keeps score. Instead, relationship reciprocity focuses on a balanced give and take where people strive to communicate their needs, respond to their partner, and note when each person’s needs change.

Tips for Navigating Reciprocity

In many cases, the reciprocity norm is actually a good thing. It helps people behave in socially acceptable ways and allows them to engage in a social give-and-take with others. But what should you do if you are trying to overcome the urge to reciprocate, such as trying to avoid the need to purchase an item after receiving a freebie?

Some tips that can help:

• Give it some time. Experts suggest that the urge to reciprocate is strongest immediately after the initial exchange. If you can wait, you will probably feel less pressure to return the favor.
• Evaluate the exchange. Think about whether the favor measures up to the expected return. In many cases, the initial gift or favor is much smaller than the requested return favor.

Potential Pitfalls of Reciprocity

Reciprocity is not always an even exchange, which opens up the potential for imbalance or even abuse. Research has shown that people are often willing to perform a proportionately larger favor after someone has done something small for them.

Engaging in that first reciprocal exchange can make it more likely that you’ll respond to other, often bigger, requests in the future. In marketing, this is often called the “foot-in-the-door” technique. Someone starts off by making a small request, and once you agree to it, they then make a much bigger request.

Another approach known as the “door-in-the-face” technique can also take advantage of reciprocity. The persuaded starts by asking for a large favor they know you will reject. They then appear to concede by asking for a much smaller favor, which you might feel obligated to fulfill.

In reality, the small favor was the intent all along, but by appearing to do you a favor by making a smaller request, you feel compelled to return the favor by saying yes to the smaller request.

Have you ever done something you didn’t want to do simply because someone else asked? Buying something after being persuaded by a pushy salesperson or trying a particular brand of soda after seeing a commercial endorsement featuring your favorite celebrity are two examples of what is known as compliance.

What Is Compliance?

In psychology, compliance refers to changing one’s behavior at the request or direction of another person.

Compliance involves changing your behavior because someone asked you to do so. While you may have had the option to refuse the request, you chose to comply.

It is important to distinguish between compliance and acceptance. Compliance involves changing a behavior in public, but not necessarily in private. While you might modify your behavior, it does not mean that you necessarily agree with it.

There are many different situations where compliance comes into play. Some examples include:

• Buying something because a salesperson makes a pitch and then asks you to make a purchase
• Agreeing when a friend asks, “Can you do me a favor?”
• Seeing an ad on a website, clicking it, and then making a purchase

Sometimes compliance can involve a direct request. Someone asks you specifically to do something, and you do it. In other cases, the request may be more subtle and even insidious.

Examples of Compliance

It can be helpful to consider a few different examples of compliance to better understand how it works. Some examples of compliance include:

• A child cleaning up their room because their parent asked them to
• A student helping another student with their homework when asked
• Buying an item because a salesperson encourages you to do so
• Helping a friend because they ask you for a favor
• Assisting someone because they have helped you in the past
• Stopping at a stop sign because you know that failure to do so might result in a ticket
• Wearing a mask and socially distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Following your doctor’s treatment recommendations for managing a health problem or mental illness, including attending therapy sessions and taking your medication

Techniques Used in Compliance

Compliance is a major topic of interest within the field of consumer psychology. This specialty area focuses on the psychology of consumer behavior, including how sellers can influence buyers and persuade them to purchase goods and services.

Marketers often rely on a number of different strategies to obtain compliance from consumers. The following are just a few common techniques they might use.

The “Door-in-the-Face” Technique

In this approach, marketers start by asking for a large commitment. When the other person refuses, they then make a smaller and more reasonable request.

For example, imagine that a business owner asks you to make a large investment in a new business opportunity. After you decline the request, the business owner asks if you could at least make a small product purchase to help them out.

The “Foot-in-the-Door” Technique

In this approach, marketers start by asking for and obtaining a small commitment. Once you have complied with the first request, you are more likely to also comply with a second, larger request.

For example, your coworker asks if you fill in for them for a day. After you say yes, they then ask if you could just continue to fill in for the rest of the week.

The “That’s-Not-All” Technique

Often on a television infomercial, once a product has been pitched, the seller then adds an additional offer before the potential purchaser has made a decision.

“That’s not all,” the salesperson might suggest, “If you buy a set of widgets now, we’ll throw in an extra widget for free!” The goal is to make the offer as appealing as possible.

The “Lowball” Technique

This strategy involves getting a person to make a commitment and then raising the terms or stakes of that commitment.

For example, a salesperson might get you to agree to buy a particular cell phone plan at a low price before adding on a number of hidden fees that then make the plan much more costly.

Ingratiation

This approach involves gaining approval from the target in order to gain compliance. Strategies such as flattering the target or presenting oneself in a way that appeals to the individual are often used in this approach.

Reciprocity

People are more likely to comply if they feel that the other person has already done something for them. We have been socialized to believe that if people extend kindness to us, we should return the favor.

Research on Compliance

There are a number of well-known studies that have explored issues related to compliance, conformity, and obedience.

The Asch Conformity Experiments

Psychologist Solomon Asch conducted a series of experiments to demonstrate how people conform in groups. Participants were shown three lines of different lengths, and then asked to select which line matched a fourth “standard” line.

When others in the group (who were planted) selected the wrong line, many participants would conform to group pressure and choose the wrong line length.

The Milgram Obedience Experiment

Stanley Milgram‘s famous and controversial obedience experiments revealed how the power of authority could get people to obey. In these experiments, participants were directed by the experimenter to deliver electrical shocks to another person.

Even though the shocks were not real, the participants genuinely believed that they shocked the other person.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

During the 1970s, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment in which participants played the roles of guards and prisoners in a mock prison set up in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford University.

Originally slated to last two weeks, the Stanford prison experiment had to be terminated after just six days after the guards began displaying abusive behavior and the prisoners became anxious and highly stressed. The experiment demonstrated how people would comply with the expectations that come from particular social roles.

Key Factors Affecting Compliance

Several essential factors influence compliance. The presence of these factors makes it more likely that people will comply.

• Affinity: People are more likely to comply when they believe they share something in common with the person making the request.
• Group influence: Being in the immediate presence of a group makes compliance more likely.
• Group size: The likelihood of compliance increases with the number of people present. If only one or two people are present, a person might buck the group opinion and refuse to comply.
• Group affiliation: When group affiliation is important to people, they are more likely to comply with social pressure. For example, if a college student places great importance on belonging to a college fraternity, they are more likely to go along with the group’s requests even if it goes against their own beliefs or wishes.

Ever have a tingly feeling that something is going to happen…and then it does? Or maybe you’ve dreamt about a future event that ends up coming true. Premonitions, which describe the ability to predict a future event, are actually a fairly common human experience.

We are wired to want to be able to know what’s going to happen, and sometimes our subconscious picks up on cues that something is likely to occur. We’re not always right, of course, but when our spidey senses pick up on something that ends up actually occurring, we might think we’ve predicted the future.

The fact is, while it might feel like premonitions are real, there isn’t evidence that it’s possible to correctly predict the future based on intuition alone. Sometimes our premonitions come true, but as the saying goes, “even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

Still, the exploration of why premonitions happen in our psyches, what they feel like, and how to cope with them, is a fascinating subject—one which we’ll tackle here, with experts to guide the way.

Understanding Premonition

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), a premonition—usually referred to as “precognition” in psychological settings—is the ability of a person to predict or perceive that they’ve predicted a future event.

The concept of premonition as it relates to mental health is a fascinating topic. Researchers have noted that the ability to predict the future is an essential part of being human, and has protective and adaptive purposes.

But what about when we are able to predict future events not based on anything picked up with our five senses? The idea is that our subconscious likely picks up on imperceptible clues that give us hints, says Brittany Astrom, LMFT, clinical supervisor at OC Revive.

“In the field of mental health, premonitions are often viewed as indications that the mind can pick up on and process subtle cues which are not readily apparent to conscious awareness. Such inklings may range from vague suspicions or intuitions to concrete dreams that seem to foretell what is going to happen,” she explains.

Natalie Rosado, LMHC, licensed mental health counselor and founder and owner of Tampa Counseling Place, agrees with this take. “In the context of mental health and psychology, premonitions are often linked to a person’s subconscious processing of information, where the brain is picking up on subtle cues we don’t immediately register consciously,” she says. “This can lead to a sense of ‘knowing’ something is going to happen without understanding how or why.”

Different Types of Premonitions

Premonitions come into our consciousness in various ways, and each of us experience them in different ways. Here are some of the most common types of premonitions, according to Rosado:

• Dream premonitions, which happen while we sleep and involve dreaming about a future event that later happens
• Emotional premonitions, which involve powerful emotions that feel like predictions of future events
• Visual premonitions, which are when we experience vivid mental images that seem to predict the future
  Auditory premonitions, which is when we hear sounds or voices that seem to be providing us with information about the future
• Physical sensations, which are when we experience physical symptoms, like a chill or a feeling of unease

Signs You May Be Experiencing a Premonition

The way that premonitions are experienced can vary considerably from one person to another, says Astrom. Some folks feel worried, especially if their premonitions are negative. Others may feel excited—for example, if their premonition was positive and it came true. “How one responds emotionally largely depends on his own context and what kind of premonition it is,” Astrom explains.

But it’s not just an emotional response that will happen when you have a premonition. May people experience a myriad of sensations, emotions, and behaviors. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of premonitions, according to Rosado:

• Anxious, uneasy feelings, most commonly when the premonition is linked to a negative event
• Vivid or intense sensations coupled with a strong conviction that something is going to happen
• Physical sensations, like racing heartbeat, chills, feeling of heaviness
• Calm certainty or a clear sense of knowing
• Strong emotional impacts that cause individuals to change their plans or take precautions based on the feelings of premonition

Causes and Triggers of a Premonition

The truth is, although the phenomenon has been studied, no one knows for sure what causes premonitions from a psychological perspective. However, there are some theories, the most prominent of which is that our unconscious thoughts are at play here—i.e., that our past experiences and feelings about future events may subconsciously be influencing our feelings and cause us to feel a sense of premonition about the future.

“This happens more during periods of stress or significant change when vigilance is higher up there in the head,” she says.

Some researchers have hypothesized that premonitions are actually a way for us to try to cope with serious stressors. After all, knowing what’s going to happen in the future means you have some control over what is going to happen, which can calm down some of the out-of-control feelings that people feel when they’re stressed.

Coping With Powerful or Frequent Premonitions

Experiencing premonitions, especially powerful or frequent ones, can be emotionally taxing, and you may be finding it difficult to cope. Rosado shared some methods for managing premonitions:

• Incorporate mindfulness and relaxation techniques into your day; these may include deep breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, meditation, and journaling
• Cognitive restructuring, which involves challenging and reframing negative thoughts
• Practice acceptance, which may look like accepting that sometimes premonitions are part of your mental and emotional landscape
• Limit exposure to premonition stimulants, such as stressors or certain environments
• Consider therapy—cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be particularly effective in managing anxious or intrusive thoughts like premonitions
• Focus on hobbies, social relationships, and self-care modalities that bring you joy and may help shift focus off premonitions

Harnessing Premonitions for Personal Growth

Although experiencing frequent premonitions may feel unpleasant, in particular when they are linked to anxious feelings, being someone who has premonitions isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Experiencing premonitions frequently can be a useful tool in self-growth, says Astrom. “They act like triggers that make us reflect on ourselves, thus making us self-conscious so we get more familiar with our deep thoughts and feelings,” she describes. “Reflecting on these things will enable one to develop good decision-making skills by enhancing their intuition.”

Rosado suggests that you can spin your experiences of premonitions in a more positive light, thinking of them as clues to your inner life and thoughts, as well as vehicles toward understanding yourself better.

“Additionally, let premonitions inspire creativity and innovation in problem-solving and creative endeavors,” Rosado says.

She encourages people to reflect on their experiences with premonitions through journaling, practicing mindfulness, and sharing your experiences with others. “Regular reflection, balancing rationality and intuition, seeking support, and educating yourself about the psychology of premonitions are practical steps to effectively harness their power for personal growth,” Rosado offers.

Debunking Misconceptions About Premonition

There are a couple myths and misconceptions about premonitions that it’s worth exploring.

First, as much as we would like to believe premonitions have a role in predicting the future, or that they do so in some spiritual, supernatural, or mythical manner, this isn’t true. “In most cases, they’re simply products of our highly complex information processing system in the brain,” Astrom describes.

And what about when our premonitions come true? There are many factors that may cause a premonition to become reality, and none have to do with something otherworldly. It’s usually because our premonition was based on good evidence, or that something happened by chance. “In reality, many premonitions do not come true, and those that do may be coincidental or based on subtle subconscious cues,” Rosado notes.

Another important misconception to clear up is that premonitions only happen to people with mental health disorders. This isn’t true. “Experiencing premonitions does not necessarily indicate a mental health disorder,” says Rosado. “While frequent or distressing premonitions can be associated with anxiety or other conditions, they can also occur in mentally healthy individuals.”

That said, if your premonitions are causing you a great deal of anxiety, or if they are coupled with hallucinations, such as seeing things or hearing voices, you should get in touch with a mental health provider as soon as possible.

The Bottom Line

Most of us have had premonitions at some point or another—and sometimes these premonitions even come true. From a mental health perspective, premonitions are basically our subconscious mind influencing our thoughts and feelings about future events. Premonitions aren’t facts—they are simply intuitions and inklings that we may have.

Although premonitions can be disturbing at times, it’s possible to harness them for good—to gain greater self-understanding and experience growth. “Premonitions are like little whispers from our subconscious,” Rosado concludes. “They guide us to dig deeper into our intuition and really embrace the journey of getting to know ourselves better.”

Thinking refers to our ability to make decisions, solve problems, reason, and remember. In a broader sense, thinking is the totality of experiences in one’s mind.

People with schizophrenia have trouble keeping their thoughts straight and expressing them. Disorganized thinking is one of the primary symptoms of schizophrenia.

Disorganized thinking can lead to various thought process disorders that cause tangential thought, disjointed thoughts, a collapse or sudden stop in the thought process, randomly spoken words, and incoherence.

Typically, we process our thoughts logically and coherently. However, this process is disrupted in those with schizophrenia, leading to disorganized thought and disordered speech.

Causes of Disorganized Thinking

The causes of disorganized thinking (or schizophrenia) are unclear. It may be related to a factors such as genetics and family history, environment, and trauma. Some people with disorganized thinking have structural differences in their brains, as evidenced by unusual activation in regions involved in:

• Language and speech processing
• Auditory perception
• Social interaction
• Higher-order cognitive functions like decision-making, evaluating, brainstorming, and learning

Thought Content vs. Thought Process

It makes sense to try to understand disorganized thinking from two perspectives: thought content and thought process. While changes in someone’s thought content affect what they perceive or think about, changes in thought process impact the way they form their ideas and express them.

Types of Disorganized Thinking

Here’s a more in-depth look at those thought process abnormalities.

Distractibility

Some people with disordered thinking experience distractibility. They may begin talking about one thing and then completely shift topics before completing their sentence. This is often due to nearby stimuli that interfere with the thought process.

• For example: “I moved to New York after college. What are you eating for lunch?”

Circumstantial Thinking

Circumstantial thinking occurs when a person talks in circles, providing excessive and unnecessary detail before getting to the point.

Tangential Thinking

Tangential thinking occurs when someone moves from thought to thought but never seems to get to the main point. Instead, the thoughts are somewhat connected but in a superficial or tangential way.

• For example: “I really got mad as I was waiting in line at the grocery store. I cannot stand lines. Waiting and waiting. I waited for a long time to get my driver’s license. Driving these days is just crazy.”

Derailment or Loose Associations

In cases of severely disordered thinking, thoughts lose almost all connections with one another and become disconnected and disjointed. This illogical thinking is called derailment or “loose” associations.

• For example: “I really enjoyed some communities and tried it, and the next day when I’d be going out you know, um I took control like uh, I put, um, bleach on my hair in, in California. My roommate was from Chicago and she was going to the junior college. And we lived in the YMCA so she wanted to put it, um, peroxide on my hair…”

Clang Associations

Clanging is when the individual chooses words based on sound (rhyming or pun associations) rather than meaning. They may also use made-up words or neologisms and may speak in a flat- or unusual-sounding voice.

• For example: “I had a little goldfish too, like a clown. …Happy Halloween down.”

Incoherence

People with very severe disordered thinking may experience incoherence, where there are no discernible connections between words. This incoherence (also known as “word salad”) makes it impossible to understand the individual’s thought process.

• For example: “They’re destroying too many cattle and oil just to make soap. If we need soap when you can jump into a pool of water, and then when you go to buy your gasoline, my folks always thought they should, get pop but the best thing to get, is motor oil, and, money…”

Diagnosis

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders includes criteria to help your doctor diagnose schizophrenia. Your doctor will look for typical symptoms of the condition, like disordered speech, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized or catatonic behavior, and reduced emotional expression.

Your doctor will also need to rule out other conditions that can affect thought processes, like:

Treatment for Disorganized Thinking

Treatment for thought process abnormalities in schizophrenia often includes medication, psychotherapy, life skills training, and family support.

Medication

The right medication can help to reduce disordered thinking and improve functioning. This may include antidepressants, mood stabilizers, or anti-anxiety medication alongside antipsychotics for long term management of the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Psychotherapy

Talk therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can help you better identify thought process abnormalities and find ways to cope with unusual or dysfunctional ways of thinking.

Social Skills Training

An inability to clearly communicate your thoughts and feelings can take a toll on your family, social life, and work relationships. Social skills training can help you improve communication with others to better navigate these relationships.

Family Support

Family members are often crucial providers of care for someone with schizophrenia. Family therapy may help ensure that you and your loved ones understand your condition and feel supported.

A social worker is a mental health professional who works to improve the lives of vulnerable populations. They work with individuals and communities to overcome challenges and effect social change.

Social work is an exciting career area that is highly related to psychology. Are you looking for a career that is rewarding yet challenging? Do you want to contribute to society by helping people overcome difficulties and improve their lives? Social work fits this description, which is why many psychology undergraduates opt to pursue it.

While many individuals who work in this field start by earning an undergraduate degree in social work before moving on to graduate school, some psychology majors opt to switch to a social work master’s program after earning their degrees.

What Is a Social Worker?

So what exactly is a social worker? These mental health professionals help people with a broad range of issues, including psychological, financial, health, relationship, and substance abuse problems. Learn more about what social workers do, the educational requirements, and the projected job outlook for the field.

What Does a Social Worker Do?

The field of social work utilizes social theories to understand human problems, to help improve people’s lives, and to improve society as a whole.

Social workers:

• Act as advocates for their clients
• Promote social welfare
• Educate clients and teach them new skills
• Link clients to essential resources within the community
• Protect vulnerable clients and ensure that their best interests are observed
• Counsel clients who need support and assistance
• Research social problems to look for remedies
• Advocate for social justice

Many who work in this field specialize in particular areas, such as helping children, assisting those with life-threatening problems, or aiding people in overcoming addictions.

Where Are Social Workers Employed?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about half of all social workers are employed as child, family, and school social workers, a trend projected to continue through 2032.

Areas where social workers often work include:

• Individual and family services: 17%
• Ambulatory healthcare services: 14%
• Local government, excluding education and hospitals: 14%
• State government, excluding education and hospitals: 13%
• Hospitals; state, local, and private: 10%

Professionals in government positions might conduct child welfare assessments, help individuals in need of public assistance, and work with people who have come into contact with the criminal justice system.

Salary Information

Salaries can vary based on various factors, including geographic location, educational background, and specialty area.

According to the National Association of Social Workers, those just starting out in their career with an undergraduate degree in social work earn a mean income of $31,327 per year. Those with a Master’s degree typically average a mean income of $44,418.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports the following median yearly earnings for different specialty areas in social work:

• Child, family, and school social workers: $50,820
• Mental health and substance abuse social workers: $51,240
• Healthcare social workers: $60,280

How to Become a Social Worker

In order to become a social worker, a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is the minimum requirement. However, some individuals with psychology, sociology, and education degrees are able to find entry-level jobs in social work.

If you are interested in providing therapy services, then a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree is required. Are you interested in teaching at the university level or conducting research? Then you will need to earn a doctorate degree in social work (DSW).

Social Worker Specialty Areas

Social workers often opt to specialize in a specific area. Some of these include:

Medical and Public Health Social Workers

Those specializing in medical or public health social work offer psychosocial services to individuals, families, and groups affected by acute, chronic, and terminal illnesses. These services might involve:

• Providing psychological counseling
• Connecting clients with resources in the community
• Helping families who are caring for a sick loved one

Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Child, family, and school social workers work with children and families. Some work in school settings to help children with academic, social, and emotional issues. Others may work with foster children, help arrange adoptions, and assist single parents.

Some specific tasks they may perform include:

• Helping families access housing
• Connecting families with services such as childcare, benefits, or food stamps
• Intervening when children are experiencing abuse or neglect
• Assisting with arranging foster care or adoptions

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers

Mental health and substance abuse social workers assess and treat individuals suffering from mental health problems or addiction and substance abuse issues. Social workers in this specialty area may provide:

Job Outlook for Social Workers

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that social work careers will grow 7% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. While employment opportunities in urban areas are predicted to be more competitive, the Department of Labor suggests that job demand will also be good in rural locations.