Question

another large group agrees that psychologists should - and generally do - follow scientific principles. they, however, reject the notion that psychology should depend for legitimacy on the ability to meet the same criteria applied to mathematics or the physical sciences. they think that psychologists should freely acknowledge the important place interpretation has in their work and not lose sight of their roots in philosophy.
a third group suggests that psychologists accept the fact that the results of some of their investigations are not verifiable in the same way the purely quantitative results are verifiable. rather, psychologists results are verifiable only on the basis of experience they themselves have had or could have.
many scholars, psychologists included, believe that debating the status of psychology as a science is not particularly useful. in an increasingly complex world, however, it is clear that research that can shed light on the human condition is extraordinarily important. whether the essential subject matter of psychology is the life of the mind, observable human behavior, or both, is not as significant as whether psychology is helpful in explaining how human beings orient themselves in the world and how they relate to their fellow human beings.
the fact that psychology can never be a pure science in the sense that physics is pure can be seen as a strength rather than a weakness. the different subfields of psychology offer practical insights that can be applied in different ways depending on actual circumstances. psychologists interpret and apply what they have learned from studies of human and group behavior in a historical and social context - a uniquely human context.
thinking critically
directions: answer the following questions in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper.

1. analyzing complete the following chart to analyze psychologists responses to criticisms that psychology is not a science.

arguments against psychology as a science | psychologists responses
1.
2.
3.

1. categorizing how would you categorize other areas of science - meteorology, sociology, anthropology, or graphology (the study of handwriting)? what conclusions can you draw about the definition of science?
2. listing although there are no laws of human behavior, list at least 10 contributions psychologists have made to our understanding of human behavior.
3. researching research one of the divisions of the apa that interests you. write a report showing how researchers in that division use the scientific method to develop theories of behavior.

Explanation:

1. Arguments Against Psychology as a Science: Psychology should depend for legitimacy on the ability to meet the same criteria applied to mathematics or the physical sciences; Psychologists' Results: Psychologists should freely acknowledge the important place interpretation has in their work and not lose sight of their roots in philosophy.

• Arguments Against Psychology as a Science: The results of some of psychologists' investigations are not verifiable in the same way the purely quantitative results are verifiable; Psychologists' Results: Psychologists' results are verifiable only on the basis of experience they themselves have had or could have.

1. Meteorology is a natural - science as it studies weather and climate. Sociology and anthropology are social sciences as they study human society and culture. Graphology is not a well - established science as its claims lack strong scientific evidence. The definition of science seems to include fields that use systematic methods, but also has room for debate as different fields have different verification methods.
2. Contributions of psychologists to understanding human behavior: Identifying defense mechanisms; understanding motivation (e.g., Maslow's hierarchy of needs); studying learning processes (classical and operant conditioning); understanding personality types; exploring cognitive biases; researching social influence (e.g., conformity and obedience); studying emotional intelligence; analyzing developmental stages; investigating sleep and dreams; researching stress and coping mechanisms.
3. This requires independent research on a division of the APA. For example, if researching the Division of Developmental Psychology, researchers use the scientific method by formulating hypotheses about how children develop cognitively, socially, and emotionally. They design experiments or observational studies, collect data (such as through questionnaires, interviews, or direct observation), analyze the data using statistical methods, and then draw conclusions to develop or refine theories of behavior related to development.

Answer:

1.

• Arguments Against Psychology as a Science: Psychology should meet the same legitimacy criteria as mathematics or physical sciences. Psychologists' Responses: Acknowledge interpretation's importance and roots in philosophy.
• Arguments Against Psychology as a Science: Some psychological investigation results are not quantitatively verifiable. Psychologists' Responses: Verifiable based on personal or potential experience.

1. Meteorology: Natural Science; Sociology: Social Science; Anthropology: Social Science; Graphology: Not a well - established science. Conclusion: Science definition is broad with varying verification methods.
2. Identifying defense mechanisms; understanding motivation; studying learning processes; understanding personality types; exploring cognitive biases; researching social influence; studying emotional intelligence; analyzing developmental stages; investigating sleep and dreams; researching stress and coping mechanisms.
3. Research on an APA division (e.g., Developmental Psychology) involves formulating hypotheses, designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and developing theories using the scientific method.