The History of Psychology

There are a number of important issues that have been debated throughout the history of Psychology. This essay will consider two key issues concerning the way Psychology is conducted and understood. These issues include the scientific status of Psychology and the ethical dilemma of how far should psychologists go in the pursuit of knowledge?

To decide whether psychology is a science, we first have to define a science. Science builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions of the universe. Science uses a particular methodology, which is objective and yields quantitative data. Data gathering uses a standardized approach and is gathered in controlled conditions. Science generates theories, which lead to clear and testable hypotheses. Findings should produce further research leading to a greater understanding of the subject matter. Science should also be falsifiable, a concept introduced by Popper in 1969.

Psychology is widely recognised as the study of mental processes and behaviour, and fulfills many conditions of a science. Psychology establishes a body of knowledge and provides textbooks and journals based on explanations and predictions. Psychology is also an evolving science that provides ongoing research and experiments on both humans and animals, in similar fashion to Biology. Some of the most famous experiments that have contributed to Psychology include Pavlov's research with dogs, Milgram's studies of obedience, and Harlow's work with rhesus monkeys.

Research in most areas of psychology is conducted in accord with the standards of the scientific method. Psychology researchers gather hypotheses from data, using qualitative or quantitative methods (or both). Generally in scientific re...

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...mely unethical. However, it could be argued that Watson and Rayners study is very valuable to psychology and is one of the most famous experiments into behaviourism. The experiment showed that fears and phobias could be learned and classical conditioning is a method that can be used to remove fears and anxieties.
In conclusion, it is vital that ethical guidelines are followed as far as possible when conducting psychological research. Although psychologists have a responsibility to protect participants they also have an obligation to pursue and share knowledge that will benefit humanity. In some cases, the breach of ethical standards has been necessary to advance the understanding of humans and human behaviour. Overall, psychologists must evaluate the potential benefits against the potential costs of the research and decide whether the means justifies the ends.