PY4 Controversies - Psychology as a Sciene Flashcards
Explain the advantage “science should provide a clear understanding of behavior”
A key feature of science is that it provides a clear understanding of human behavior. Therefore psychology does this as approaches such as the Biological approach use brain scans (an objective method)to provide a clear understanding of the brain and the different lobes that govern different aspects of our personality/functions (e.g. Parcipital lobe governs sight)
Explain the advantage “science should be reductionist”
Reductionist areas have an agreed set of rules like a science. For example the Behaviorist approach suggests both animals and humans learn in the same way.
However not all areas of psychology are reductionist and there are so many contrasting/conflicting theories that psychology as a whole does not have an agreed set of rules
Explain the advantage “psychology uses scientific methods”
Psychology uses scientific methods for example some areas of psychology use lab experiments under highly controlled conditions, using standardized procedures and objective methods such as brain scans.
In psychology cognitive neuroscience uses brain scans to assess damaged brains and see what effect it has on our behaviour
Explain the refute “psychology cant always make predictions about future behavior”
Psychology is not always able to make predictions of future behaviour. For example concordance rates for depression and schizophrenia in MZ twins is below 50% therefore mental illness can’t all be down to genetics.
However some determinist areas of psychology argue that behaviour can be predicted for example Blair’s historical policy on targeting problem children as young as two suggests we can predict behaviour
Explain the refute “psychology isn’t always objective”
Psychology isn’t always objective as it doesn’t always use objective methods. For example Freud and Little Hans, interviews and questionnaires are open to interpretation. Even the diagnosis of mental illness lacks an objective test
However it could be argued to be inappropriate to study human behaviour using controlled methods
Explain the refute “psychology isn’t always falsifiable”
Psychology isn’t always falsifiable, for example the oedipus complex suggests young males are unconsciously attracted to their mother and fear their father will castrate them therefore identify with their father.
However this cannot be proven wrong as freud counter-argues that it is an “unconscious” feeling and therefore you are bound to not acknowledge it
What is meant by the term ‘science’
Science aims to gain knowledge by being objective and systematic. Science also aims to discover natural laws to be able to predict and control the world around us (e.g laws of gravity)
