Is Psychology a Science?

Is Psychology a Science?

In order to answer this question it is important to understand the

definitions of both psychology and science. The word 'psychology' comes

from the Greek 'psyche' (or soul) and 'logos' (or study), which came to be

known as the 'study of the soul'. The American Heritage Dictionary

defines psychology as:

1. the science dealing with the mind and with mental and

emotional processes 2. the science of human and animal behavior.

In its pure definition the dictionary has provided us with a clue to the

answer, it describes science as:

1. systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, etc. 2. a

branch of knowledge, esp. one that systematizes facts,

principles, and methods 3. skill or technique

In order to prove this claim we have to look at whether or not psychology

can fill this definition above.

Scientific study is a valid way of coming to an understanding of life, and

can be very useful in every area of life. Science develops theories based

on what is observed. It examines each theory with rigorous and scrupulous

tests to see if it describes reality. The scientific method works well in

observing and recording physical data and in reaching conclusions which

either confirm or nullify a theory.

During the mid-19th century, scholars (although at that time probably

termed philosophers) wanted to study human nature with the aim of applying

the scientific method to observe, record, and treat human behavior that

was deemed as unnatural. They believed that if people could be studied in

a scientific manner, there would be a greater accuracy in understanding

present behavior, in predicting future behavior, and, most controversially,

in altering behavior through scientific intervention.

There are many areas of psychology, each attempting to explain behavior

from slightly different perspectives;

Social psychology is concerned with the effects of social situations on

human behavior. Personality theorists study individual behavior.

Comparative psychologists study animal behaviors across the range of

species Physiological psychologists are concerned with the biological

basis of behavior. Developmental psychologists study principles and

processes responsible for change throughout life. Cognitive psychologists

investigate memory, thought, problem solving, and the psychological

aspects of learning. Analysis of behavior studies the conditions under

which a behavior can be learned and the situations that cause that

behavior to occur. Learning is an area of psychology exploring how new

behaviors are learned and maintained. Clinical psychologists study ways to

help individuals and groups of individuals change their behavior.

Industrial and organizational psychologists are concerned with the

physical and social aspects of people's work environments as they affect

work output. Community psychologists use scientific methods to study and

solve social problems.

As Western describes, the psychological paradigm is a collection of

assumptions used to make sense of a subject area or experience, this can

be applied to psychology itself. Psychology lacks one unified paradigm

but has four perspectives that search for its understanding;

The pyschodynamic perspective believes that behavior is a result of

unconscious processes, personal motivation and early childhood experiences.

It's most famous advocate was Sigmund Freud. Its method of data

collection rely heavily on interpreting discussion, dreams and fantasies,

actions, case studies and a limited amount of experimentation.

The behaviorist perspective believes that behavior is learned and selected

by environmental consequences. Its method of data collection relies

heavily on experimentation conducted in the scientific laboratory where

the factors studied can be controlled; or it may take place in a real

life setting where more natural behavior is studied and far more variables

exist.

The cognitive perspective believes that behavior is a result of

information processing, storage in the brain, transformation and the

retrieval of information. The methods of data collection used are again

experimentation but with much use of computer modeling.

The evolutionary perspective believes that psychological processes echo

the evolutionary processes of natural selection. Its method of data

collection