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 includes the deduction of 
explanations for behavior, and comparisons between species and 
cultures.  It also involves a limited amount of experimentation. 
 
Of these four perspectives all lend common similarities to the 
traditional sciences.  All have elements of controlled 
experimentation, as does physics or chemistry.  Cognitive 
perspectives use computer modeling, as does mathematics.  There 
are similarities, but there are also differences to any other 
sciences, such as the study of dreams and fantasies. 
 
The methods of experimentation and research in psychology is 
completed on a scientific basis.  Psychological experimental 
research would involve the manipulation of a situation to examine 
the way in which the subjects of an experiment react, in order to 
observe cause and effect.  The experimenter manipulates 
independent variables and the subjects responses would prove 
the dependant variables.  By measuring the subjects responses, 
the experimenter can tell if the manipulation has had an effect. 
 
Psychological hypotheses are sought to operationalise - to turn 
an abstract concept into a concrete argument.  This process is 
scientific in its element.  The hypothesis is framed, variables 
are operationalised separately, a standard procedure is developed 
that is maintained throughout the experiment, subjects are 
scientifically selected, results are tested and conclusions 
drawn. 
 
Control groups are often used, similar in essence to control 
chemicals used in chemistry.  These control groups are not 
exposed to the manipulation but instead to neutral conditions, 
providing a standards to compare results. In some cases 
researchers carry out blind studies where subjects are kept 
unaware of the aspects of the study.  Double blind studies have 
been used in the past where the researchers are kept blind too. 
 
A scientific subject  knows its own limitations.  Psychology 
attempts to study complex phenomena in laboratory and field 
situations where validity is called into question.  Results 
contrast with differing personal understandings of researchers 
which will always differ to some extent.  In a physical science a 
variance of error may be intolerable above 2%, in psychology 50% 
may be an acceptable level. 
 
Every psychological experiment and theory is evaluated with the 
same level of criticality as that of the traditional sciences.  
Questions are asked over the theoretical framework, the results 
validity and its relationship with the hypothesis, the quality 
and range of sample and if it is representative, the conclusions 
that can be drawn form the data and broader conclusions that may 
be apparent.  Finally the studies are questioned on their 
meanings and ethics to operationalise the original hypothesis. 
 
Psychology has adopted the scientific mode. However, from a 
strictly scientific point of view, it has not been able to meet 
the requirements of true science. 
 
In attempting to evaluate the status of psychology as a 
scientific study, the American Psychological Association 
appointed Sigmund Koch to conduct a study, employing over eighty 
noted scholars in assessing the facts, hypotheses, and methods of 
psychology. In 1983, the results were published in a series 
entitled 'Psychology: A Study of Science'. Koch describes what 
he believes to be the delusion in thinking of psychology as a 
science: 
 
The truth is that psychological statements which describe human 
behavior or which report results from tested research can be 
scientific. However, when there is a move from describing human 
behavior to explaining it there is also a move from science to 
opinion.  
 
Here it is important to make the distinction between psychology 
and psychiatry.  Academic psychology is a scientific project, 
initiated by Wilhelm Wundt at the University of Leipzig at around 
1885. His work was the study of the average adult human mind, and 
the scientific method used was introspection. His approaches have 
long since been abandoned, as have many of his ideals, but not 
the basic idea of understanding and describing human functioning 
within a scientific context. 
 
Psychotherapy, on the other hand, is no more a science than that 
of civil engineering.  Ideally, scientifically investigated 
therapeutic techniques and methods are used together with ethical 
and philosophical principles in order to achieve a desired 
outcome. Psychotherapy, then, is a mixture of a craft and an art 
and may not be called a science. 
 
Psychology breeds many conflicting explanations of man and his 
behavior. Psychologist Roger Mills, in his 1980 article, 
"Psychology Goes Insane, Botches Role as Science," says: 
 
"The field of psychiatry today is literally a mess. There are as 
many techniques, methods and theories around as there are 
researchers and therapists. I have personally seen therapists 
convince their clients that all of their problems come from their 
mothers, the stars, their biochemical make-up, their diet, their 
lifestyle and even the "karma" from their past lives." 
 
These opinions are describing psychotherapy and not psychology in 
its core.  Remembering that psychology is the scientific study of 
the behavior of humans and animals, we should look at their 
methods of study.  As we have seen, psychologists use scientific 
methods in an attempt to understand and predict behavior, to 
develop procedures for changing behavior, and to evaluate 
treatment strategies.  Mitchell and Jolley discuss the question 
of whether psychology is a science in the first chapter of their 
text 'Research Design Explained' (3rd Edition).  Their  
conclusions support the claim that psychology is a science.  They 
discuss the facts that psychology produces objective evidence 
that can be replicated (replicated with the same success as 
physics and chemistry experiments).  That it unearths observable, 
objective evidence that either supports or refutes existing 
beliefs and creates new knowledge.  And that psychology is open-
minded about claims, even those that go against common sense and 
sceptical about ideas that, even though they make sense, have not 
been supported by any research evidence. 
 
If we can define a science using subjective methods then 
Psychology is definitely a science.  Psychology represents an 
empirical science, its methods demanding empirical testing of 
hypotheses. 
 
Many empirical results of psychology are subject to personal 
interpretation and intense dispute.  This can be seen as a 
function of the phenomena that is psychology.  But the key to 
resolving these disputes is to turn back to the empirical methods 
and pit alternative interpretations against each other. 
 
References 
 
The American Heritage Dictionary, 1996 
 
Western, Psychology - Mind, Brain and Culture, 1997 
 
Sigmund Koch, 'Psychology: A Study of Science', 1983 article 
 
Roger Mills, 'Psychology Goes Insane, Botches Role as Science', 
1980 article 
 
Mitchell and Jolley, 'Research Design Explained' (3rd Edition), 
1995 
 
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