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Is psychology a real science? Is psychology a real science?
Psychology is a real science Psychology is a real science
Psychology is not a real science Psychology is not a real science
Psychology is a science, but not a hard one Psychology is a science, but not a hard one
Psychology follows the scientific method Psychology follows the scientific method
Psychology can predict human behaviors Psychology can predict human behaviors
Psychology gains knowledge through experience Psychology gains knowledge through experience
Psychology's findings are inconclusive Psychology's findings are inconclusive
Researchers can fudge their results Researchers can fudge their results
Psychology doesn't have an agreed upon central body of knowledge Psychology doesn't have an agreed upon central body of knowledge
Psychology studies only abstract phenomenons. Psychology studies only abstract phenomenons.
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Is psychology a real science?
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Psychology is not a real science

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Psychology doesn't have an agreed upon central body of knowledge

Unlike each of the hard sciences, psychology fails to deliver a concrete body of knowledge that is universally agreed upon by professionals in the field.
Psychology Science
Paul Meehl Gregg Henriques
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The Argument

Psychology lacks what true sciences are built upon: a universally accepted body of knowledge which describes how the world works. It also fails to yield a definition that is universally agreed upon. Psychology relies, instead, on following the scientific method to a fault. Professionals in the field are focused mainly on gathering data and statistics, which does not equal knowledge.[1]

Counter arguments

Psychology is defined as "the study of mind and behavior."[2] Scientists in the field of psychology have generated insights into animal and human behaviors from the data which has been gathered.[1] These insights constitute a body of knowledge upon which many experts in the field agree.

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Psychology does not have a consensual body of knowledge. [P2] Psychology lacks a universally agreed upon definition.

Rejecting the premises

{Rejecting P1] Psychology has built up a repository of insights which are generally agreed upon by scientists in the field. [Rejecting P2] Psychology is defined as "the study of mind and body."

References

  1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201601/the-is-psychology-science-debate
  2. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychology
This page was last edited on Friday, 17 Apr 2020 at 11:37 UTC

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