Chapter 10 - Is Psychology A Science (rude)? Flashcards
Ward made the case that a new science can only prosper if it succeeds in convincing the ruling powers of its need and the reassurence that it poses no threat to their power, how did psychology promote itself through two main ways?
- Psychology as the continuation of old tradition of mental and moral philosophy (with a rich past, aka Aristotle)
- The scientific method as the new added component; already successful in other disciplines and now applied to the human mind (this way it made a bridge to the natural sciences)
Mischel called a particular problem in psychology the “toothbrush problem”, what is meant by this?
= Psychologist treat other people’s theories like toothbrushes- no self-respecting person wants to use anyone elses
In other words, there are a lot of theories in psychology, but there are little shared, generally accepted theories
What is meant with methodolatry/methodologism?
The bias towards methodoligical rigour over theory crafting
What movement may have impacted this methodolatry?
Positivism
What are the 7 reasons that the scientific method is still something psychologists rely on?
- Systematicity and cumulativeness of knowledge (builds on existing knowledge
- The use of well-defined methods
- Clarity (interpretation remains the same, regardless of reader)
- Prediction
- Knowledge is revisable
- Comparison with pseudoscience (moreso how it differs methodologically)
- Currently acceptable progress has been made
What are the four main reasons that psychology is not seen as a science?
- The traditional view of a scientist does not allign with the view of a psychologist (clinical, mostly)
- Professional psychologists outnumber psychology researchers (aka users of knowledge > creators of knowledge)
- The general public is convinced their knowledge is equal to that of psychologists (on psychological issues)
- Not all psychologists are convinced by the scientific method (and prefer a hermeneutic alternative)
How does the traditional view of a scientist clash with that of a psychologist?
Psychologists are stereotyped mostly as clinical practice, involved with abnormal behaviour and focused on helping others (basically therapist vibe), whereas a scientist is stereotyped as male (rude), works alone, difficult work, etc.
What is meant by the hermeneutic alternative (for psych)?
Psych should stay a part of humanities and interpret and understand people on the basis of their personal and socio-cultural history
What was Dilthey’s main critique against psychology as a natural science?
It should be a part of what he called human/mental sciences; The methods used often focus(ed) on not a true experiment, but interpretation and understanding of the individual (qualitative practice?)
How did Dilthey summize the psychological approach in four elements?
- Content-based; focus not on brain functions, but on what the mind comprises (individual structure of person) - which to him was evidence it should be a part of the human/mental sciences
- Subject of psych = human experiences in its totality (it should focus on the description of the full mind)
- A persons life is embedded in context
- The scientific method cannot be used to fully grasp the totality of mental life within the above context
Which three ways of understanding (psych method) did Dilthey distinguish?
- Elementary forms of understanding used to solve the simple problems of life
- Empathy through which an observer can re-experience someone else’s experiences
- The hermeneutic level of understanding, by which an observed person can better be understood than the person can themself
Who/what was a major source of inspiration for the hermeneutic approach?
Freud and his psychoanalysis (please leave me alone)
Which four other theories of the human mind were inspired by Freud?
- Jung = personal unconscious (forgotten and repressed) and collective unconscious (shared by all/cultures) + extroversion vs. introversion
- Adler = Inferiority is the most important motivator for humans (originates from infant stage)
- Erikson = Developmental stages (each had a psych crisis that needed solving)
- Bowlby = attachment theory (secure, etc.)
What was Roger’s view on what clinical treatment should look like?
Empathetic based (client based), similar to Dithley in that it focuses on understanding the client, but different from the hermeneutic way of Freud
Rogers’ and Maslow’s view on psychology were founders of what psychological school? To what was it an alternative/opposer
Humanistic psychology; people are humans with free will and live within context > to psychoanalysis/behaviourism
What is another critique against experimental psychology? Allport’s critique
The forgoing of individual differences
What is a problem with experimental psych when it comes to research questions?
That they are governed by research methods
What are the three main critiques of critical psychology against experimental psychology?
- Knowledge is not a mirror to reality
- Science is a social construct
- Psychs have a moral obligation because of the effects psych has on social reality
