Scientific status Flashcards
Introduction of scientific status
Psychology is often defined as the ‘science of behaviour and experience’. The term ‘science’ refers to knowledge based on systematic and objective methods of data collection that can be replicated to demonstrate the validity and reliability of results. Science aims to discover natural laws in order to predict and control the world e.g. vaccines etc. The method used to gain scientific method - explanations are proposed and then research conducted to test the validity of such explanations.
Benefits of being a science to society and the economy
The scientific approach in psychology is crucial as evidence is often required to support claims like men’s aggression or a drug’s ability to cure depression. In the 19th century, early psychologists aimed to establish a science of psychology to produce verifiable knowledge, distinguishing it from common-sense or ‘armchair psychology’. Evidence-based data enhances research’s ethical and economic value by ensuring the effectiveness of treatments like depression drugs and preventing misuse without certainty. For example, psychoactive drugs may save around £22.5 billion a year in England alone (McCrone report).
Changing nature of ‘science’
Science, despite appearing static, has been evolving over thousands of years, dating back to early Greek thinkers. The Greeks advocated for empirical science, leading to numerous developments since then in the process of science regarding objectivity and validity.
Changing nature of ‘science’: The subject matter of psychology
In psychology, there have been 2 recent changes. For example, the positive approach in psychology focuses on the positive aspects of human nature, such as good qualities, and how they can be nurtured, aiming to shift the focus of psychological research from studying specific types of behaviour to broader studies. Many researchers believe that, as a discipline, psychology has been dominated by a focus of pathology - understanding mental illness - and that a ‘shift’ is needed in order to understand how people may flourish as individuals. Most importantly all of this can be focus of scientific research.
Changing nature of ‘science’: The methodology of psychology
The second recent change in psychology has been in the methods that are used. Psychologists have utilised quantitative methods for statistical analysis to quantify behaviour. This is sometimes classed as a nomothetic approach which aims to formulate general laws of behaviour based on the study of groups of people. It attempts to summarise the differences between people through generalisations.
Changing nature of ‘science’: The methodology of psychology (continued)
In contrast the idiographic approach focuses on individuals and emphasises uniqueness, favouring qualitative methods in research. Such an approach was common in early psychology e.g. Freud case studies, but fell out of favour with the rise of behaviourism at the start of the 19th century. Psychologists have developed rigorous, scientifically-based qualitative techniques that can be objective and systematic. Thematic analysis, similar to observational research, is employed when analysing case study details, focusing on identifying behavioural categories from all collected data. Then examples of each category can be collected or instances can be counted, and conclusions drawn from the data.
Changing nature of ‘science’: The methodology of psychology (continued) p2
Triangulation: This method of systematic analysis involves examining various research findings, both qualitative and quantitative, to determine their similarity in direction. For example, the effects of shift work on sleep disruption through self-reporting, detailed observations in a sleep laboratory, and also using experiments to determine the effects of sleep deprivation. If these all generate similar results regarding to sleep disturbance, the validity of the conclusions high.
Cost of being a science: Determinist
The scientific approach, is determinist, as it aims to demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships, enabling us to control the world but potentially misrepresenting it, even in physics, due to the potential of simply determinism being mistaken. Chaos theory suggests that minor changes in initial conditions can lead to significant changes known as the butterfly effect, contradicting simple cause-and-effect principles, particularly in psychology. Trying to produce cause-and-effect answers in psychology is therefore misleading and doesn’t represent what actually happens.
Costs of being a science: Reductionist
The scientific approach is reductionist, aiming to identify single variables that can be manipulated, breaking down complex behaviours into individual elements. Psychiatrist R.D Laing (1965) argued that reductionist explanations of schizophrenia miss crucial elements, such as patient distress, which may limit psychological insights. Psychologists prefer a holistic approach, focusing on the entire system rather than its individual components, arguing that predicting the behaviour of the entire system cannot be achieved solely from knowledge of individual components. This means reductionist explanations are limited in understanding behaviour, while Gestalt psychology is an example of a holist approach in psychology.
Cost of being a science: Focus on the general rather than the individual
In addition, Laing argued that scientific research aims to generalise behaviour through the nomothetic approach, while treating each patient as an individual case is crucial for successful treatment. This suggests that the scientific approach may not be suitable for some psychologists’ concerns, and perhaps determining its suitability may be based on the results of research. For example, scientific methods like psychoactive drugs have shown limited success in treating mental illness.
Methodologies used by the various approaches
- Biological approach: brain scans (such as fMRI), experimental research. Genetic research uses twin and family studies
- Psychodynamic approach: case study approach, including semi-structured interviews
- Behaviourist approach: They believe humans and animals share only quantitative differences, they advocate for the study of animal learning and its application to humans through lab experiments.
- Cognitive approach: experiments often in a lab setting, make inferences about what is going on in someone’s mind. Case studies of abnormal individuals are also used.
- Positive approach: meta-analysis, questionaires
