Is Psychology A Science - 1518 Words

Whether psychology is a science or not has been a long running debate between psychologists and other scientists alike. There have been various attempts at making psychology a scientific discipline in the past such as the movement from behaviourism into cognitivism. Researchers such as Wundt and Watson have worked hard to bring psychology into the world of scientific research and through the years have made a very good start but have they managed to achieve scientific criteria? Berezow (2012) defined what separates science from non-science in five criteria. He stated that a science must have; clearly defined terminology, quantifiability, highly controlled experiments, reproducibility, and predictability and testability (What separates science from non-science, 2012) His claim that a discipline must meet each of these criteria to be defined as a science puts limits on psychology. There isn’t enough known about psychology, when compared with subjects such as physics and chemistry, to have clearly defined terminology for everything studied. Humans are a lot more difficult to study than particles and chemical compounds, meaning that test results will be a lot more varied, are a lot harder to control and are more difficult to reproduce but this variability can be overcome with the use of statistics. In terms of how quantifiable psychology is, it is incredibly difficult to quantify something with no physical measurements. Scales and definitions are invente d every day inShow MoreRelatedThe Science Of Psychology And Psychology2314 Words   |  10 PagesChapter 1: The Science of Psychology Downs, Martin. â€Å"Psychology vs. Psychiatry: Which is better?† WebMd.com. WebMD, Inc., 2005. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. The article is about the importance of psychology, the article is written by the Downs Martin in the year of 2005. This article is very much important and it is providing information about the psychology and about the psychiatrist. In the medical treatment the psychological is very useful and significant means of medical treatment. According to writerRead MorePsychology as a Science1163 Words   |  5 PagesPSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes. (Fuchs amp; Milar, 2002). But what makes it a scientific study? First of all, why not? Nowadays the idea of psychology as a science seems so natural to us, but it was not always like this. The late-eighteenth-century declaration that a true scientific study of the mind was not possible posed a challenge that was answered in the nineteenth century when the possibilityRead MoreIs Psychology A Science?998 Words   |  4 PagesThe question that ‘psychology is a Science’ motivates a substantially critical debate amongst many professions, having very strong opinions. To come to a vigorous conclusion on this subject we must take into recognition both sides of the argument, what is science, and weather Psychology meets the principles of Science. In doing this the following essay will be debating the principles of science, the scientific unifying approach, poppers opinion on whether psychology is a science through his theoryRead MorePsychology as a Science1774 Words   |  8 PagesDefine Psychology. Is psychology a science? Elucidate your answer with relevant arguments. DEFINITIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY Psychology has been defined in different ways.Some people have defined psychology as an art.Other people have defined psychology as a science.Many text books define psychology as the science of mind and behavior.Psychology involves the study of human nature and/or behavior.Different opinions come from different perspectives. Eric Pettifor at GIGANTOPITHECUS defines psychology as anRead MoreIs Psychology A Science?2038 Words   |  9 Pagesbeing that science helps many parts of our lives? â€Å"Like all science, psychology is knowledge: and like science, it is knowledge of a definite thing, the mind† in this quote by James Mark Baldwin, it states that psychology is a science, a science that is being used in many different ways. Unlike usual science, that teach us about cells, rocks, and animals, this science gives us a glimpse of something that everyone has and something that everyone has questions about†¦ the mind! Psychology helps us inRead MoreIs Psychology a Science2271 Words   |  10 PagesIs psychology a science? Discuss using evidence from the five approaches. To answer this question I feel it is important to understand the definitions of psychology and science. I will start with definitions of the terms psychology and science and will briefly review the methods of psychology. I will outline the behaviourist approach, the psychoanalytical approach, the cognitive approach, the humanistic approach and the biological approach. In order to confirm whether psychology can fulfil theRead MoreIs Psychology A Science?2372 Words   |  10 PagesPsychology as a science is very complicated, with many parts and attributions to other fields of science. These many parts come together to help explain why humans behave the way they do. Most of this depends on the brain and the way it tells our bodies to react to the environment around us. Our brain function allows us to have these reactions, along with many other things that make up a person. Their motivation, emotions, development, and personality are all products of the different functions andRead MoreP sychology Is The Science Of Natural Science1080 Words   |  5 PagesPsychology as the behaviorist views it is a purely objective experimental branch of natural science. Its theoretical goal is the prediction and control of behavior. Introspection forms no essential part of its methods, nor is the scientific value of its data dependent upon the readiness with which they lend themselves to interpretation in terms of consciousness -John B. Watson There are five main approaches to psychology known as â€Å"schools of thought† that make assumptions about the nature ofRead MoreReflecting On Psychology As A Science912 Words   |  4 Pages Reflecting on Psychology as a Science Before I had ever begun to ponder cognitive abilities, or understand the connections between Dopamine and schizophrenia, my concepts of psychology were shaped by the perverse world of popular culture. Prime time psychologists tend to come in two forms. Viewers are either enticed by an intense and traumatized psychologist who sneaks into the minds of criminals or annoyed be the one episode guest star analyst whose only goal seemsRead MorePsychology As A Modern Science975 Words   |  4 PagesAbout Psychology is a known work of the psychology world which was published in 1986. Beginning courses in psychology use his text frequently. Stanovich primary purpose for writing the text is to bring attention to his observation that the public’s understanding of psychology is different from psychology as a modern science. Psychology as a modern science explains the underlying functions that shape human attitudes and behavior. To the people who misunderstand this, the field of psychology is not