The Science of Psychology
“Psychology is the scientific study of mind, brain and behaviour. Some
of what you do learn may seem like ‘common sense’, or at least
familiar to you because you are learning about topics in which you can
relate to. However some things you may believe is true, but is
incorrect. The way we know this is through the application of
scientific methods.”
Mark Leary suggests that the subject matter of psychology is much more
familiar to most people than is the subject matter of physics or
biology; we see behaviour all around us. Psychology would be an odd
science of thought and behaviour if it only considered thoughts and
behaviours completely foreign to people’s experiences, or if its
finding always can counter to most people’s beliefs. Many people
believed whole-heartedly in flat Earths and cheese moons only to find
their common sense views dismantled in the face of scientific
evidence. This is the same with psychology. Although most people would
like to believe that large rewards produce greater liking for a boring
task, that the behaviour of men and women is determined by their
biology or that absence makes the heart grow fonder. In short, the
popularity of a common sense belief may not always support the weight
of scientific evidence.
Psychologists are primarily engaged in the task of explaining
behaviour, rather than merely cataloguing it. The difference between
theory and description – “why” versus “what” – echoes the difference
between science and common sense. Common sense certainly helps
describe what takes place in behaviour, but doesn’t compel us to
understand why it takes place. The develo...
... middle of paper ...
...e, as most of the behaviour towards different situations is
used in everyday life, but the fact that the measurements and the
results that were found in each study I have explained, helps in
finalising the decisions between different matters and opinions,
whether people really do this or that.
In 1974, Joyson, wrote an article, saying that every person is there
own psychologist, after all who knows best an outsider or yourself? He
also said that if psychologists did not exist would we need to invent
one?
We all have to use a bit of psychology to negotiate our lives,
regardless of whether or not we have studied it.
Bibliography
Internet References
www.completepsychology.co.uk
www.randi.org/vbulletin/printread.php?s=8a0c1318ff319ffe9564b62b4cd872...
www.psych.ubc.ca
www.holah.karoo.net
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