| Psychology is commonly defined as 'scientific' | | | | environmental factors. For example, the biological |
| study of human behavior and cognitive processes. | | | | perspective is said to be scientific fundamentally |
| Broadly speaking the discussion focuses on the | | | | because it looks at the biological functioning of |
| different branches of psychology, and if they are | | | | every human being and searches for reasons and |
| indeed scientific. However, it is integral in this to | | | | solutions which can be applied nomothetically. It |
| debate to understand exactly the major features | | | | focuses on biological behavior, which can be |
| of a science, in order to judge if psychology is in | | | | empirically tested, and findings generalized. It |
| fact one. There must be a definable subject | | | | emphasizes on the importance of the nervous |
| matter - this changed from conscious human | | | | system and the importance of genetics on |
| thought to human and non-human behavior, then | | | | behavior. These aims are clearly scientific, and the |
| to cognitive processes within psychology's first | | | | methods used are scientific - empirically |
| eighty years as a separate discipline. Also, a | | | | measured, hypothesized and nomothetic. |
| theory construction is important. This represents | | | | One example of this is the medical approach to |
| an attempt to explain observed phenomena, such | | | | mental illness. The biological approach suggests |
| as Watson's attempt to account for human and | | | | that schizophrenia could be down to several |
| non-human behavior in terms of classical | | | | factors, such as genetics or a chemical imbalance. |
| conditioning, and Skinner's subsequent attempt to | | | | The psychodynamic approach however, as been |
| do the same with operant conditioning. Any | | | | criticized as being 'unscientific'. Many of Freud's |
| science must have hypotheses, and indeed test | | | | theories are not able to be tested, and many of |
| them. This involves making specific predictions | | | | his studies, because empirical measures cannot be |
| about behavior under certain specified conditions. | | | | applied, remain firmly in theory and cannot be |
| Science is meant to be objective and unbiased. It | | | | tested, they are difficult to operate - it is |
| should be free of values and discover the truths | | | | impossible to test if the unconscious exists if we |
| about what it is studying. Positivism is the view | | | | are by nature meant to be unaware of it. One |
| that science is objective and a study of what is | | | | could however argue that we cannot prove that |
| real. For example, schizophrenia, when diagnosed | | | | it does not exist either. The majority of the |
| as being caused due to excess dopamine, is being | | | | approaches suggests that psychology is in fact a |
| studied in a scientific manner. The explanation | | | | science, but within the field of psychology, in |
| does not take into account any cultural customs | | | | order for it to be classified as a science, each of |
| or individual differences that might lead to | | | | its perspective should be seen as scientific. The |
| 'schizophrenic' behavior. However, even in scientific | | | | humanistic approach, a so-called 'third-force' |
| research like this the person is doing the | | | | between behaviorism and the psychodynamic |
| diagnosing has his or her own views, and may | | | | approaches, is idiographic, since it studies the |
| misinterpret behavior because of his or her own | | | | individual, and holistic, as it looks at the whole |
| subjective biases. For example, if someone talks | | | | person. A scientific approach for general laws will |
| about hearing voices, they may be referring to a | | | | not capture this active interacting individual, and so |
| spiritual experience, but a medical practitioner | | | | the humanistic approach uses methods that are |
| might well diagnose schizophrenia. So objective, | | | | not scientific. |
| value-free study is not easy, because the scientist | | | | The issue of psychology as a science is cloudy. |
| has views and biases, and cultural or other issues | | | | On one hand, psychology is a science. The subject |
| are perhaps important factors. Some say that a | | | | matter is behavior, including mental aspects of |
| truly objective study is not possible, and that a | | | | behavior such as memory, and the subject |
| scientific approach to the study of people is not | | | | matter is divided up for study. Variables are |
| desirable. | | | | measured, and carefully controlled to a point. |
| Definitions of psychology have changed during its | | | | Laboratories are often used in an effort to |
| lifetime, largely reflecting the influence and | | | | improve controls - controls are as thorough as |
| contributions of its major theoretical approaches | | | | possible, so that general laws about behavior can |
| or orientations. Kline in 1998 argued that the | | | | be built. |
| different approaches within the field of psychology | | | | On the other hand, psychology can be viewed not |
| should be seen as self-contained disciplines, as well | | | | as a science, as it does not aim at scientific |
| as different facets of the same discipline. He | | | | principles to measure the whole world. In many |
| argued that a field of study can only be | | | | areas of psychology there is no attempt to |
| legitimately considered a science if a majority of | | | | generalize from some human behavior to all |
| its workers subscribe to a common, global | | | | human behavior. The social representation theory |
| perspective or 'paradigm'. According to Kuhn, a | | | | focuses on interactions, and the humanistic theory |
| philosopher of science, this means that psychology | | | | focuses on self-actualization and the individual's |
| is 'pre-paradigmatic' - it lacks a paradigm, without | | | | experiences and actions. Where there is focus on |
| which it is still in a state of 'pre-science'. Whether | | | | interactions between people, and on the individual's |
| psychology has, or ever had, paradigm is hotly | | | | experiences, scientific methods are not useful. |
| debated. Others believe that psychology has | | | | Non-scientific methods include case-studies and |
| already undergone two revolutions, and is now in | | | | unstructured interviews. If a method in not |
| a stage of normal science, with cognitive | | | | scientific, it aims for good validity, in-depth |
| psychology the current paradigm. A third view, | | | | material about someone or a small group, |
| which represents a blend of the first two, is that | | | | qualitative data and a richness of data that is not |
| psychology currently, and simultaneously, has a | | | | found by isolating variables, as in many |
| number of paradigms. | | | | psychological studies. |
| With regards to which perspectives are regarded | | | | Psychology as a separate field of study grew out |
| as 'scientific', and which are not, the majority lies | | | | of several other disciplines, both scientific (such as |
| with 'scientific'. There are four perspectives that | | | | physiology) and non-scientific (in particular |
| clearly lie under 'scientific', the behavioral, cognitive, | | | | philosophy). For much of its life as an independent |
| cognitive-developmental and the physiological. The | | | | discipline, and through what some call revolutions |
| psychodynamic and humanistic perspectives are | | | | and paradigm shifts, it has taken the natural |
| argued to be idiographic, in that they look at | | | | sciences as its model. Ultimately, whatever a |
| individual differences, instead of universal laws. | | | | particular science may claim to have discovered |
| The social approach can be seen as an | | | | about the phenomena it studies, scientific activity |
| intermediate, as, although it appreciates that there | | | | remains just one aspect of human behavior. I feel |
| is a strong element of science involved in | | | | that psychology should be viewed as a science, |
| psychology, for example the treatment of some | | | | even if it does not concur with traditional scientific |
| mental disorders, it focuses on social and | | | | specifications. |