Should Psychology be accepted as a science?

This is so true. What exam board did you do at school? And I look forward to studying Psychology when I reach University

Erm, I'm currently an IB natural sciences student at Cambridge, taking experimental psychology as one of my second year options.

The course does emphasise experimental technique, just as any other natural sciences option and if you choose to take it as a part II subject, you will get a BPS recognised degree.

I did Edexcel A level. To be honest A level Psychology is not a science. It's probably on the same wavelength as History, English, Geography purely because it is just a test of your memory. Loads to learn, not much application. Although we did learn about some basic research methods/stats at A level which moved it up to that awkward position between sciences and humanities along with Economics and Geography. At university it is far more than just learning and recalling bits of info.

Where have you applied?

I'm not sure how people can say it's a science when there is the whole neuroscience & psychobiology aspect of it, in this way it is close to being as scientific as biology is.



http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2004-11097-002

I think it's about time you realise the world does not revolve around what you think. You can't say it's a social science when infact it is these days considered a science.



One thing that makes it a science is the way Psychology is studied. With hypothesis', theories, experiments, laboratories etc.

I don't think you are giving chemistry or physics a fair hearing in regards to the number of lives they have and continue to save and the massive improvement in living standards gained by the application of physical science. Why do you think chemistry and physics are no longer useful?

Oh, I know they are useful.. of course they are! I've not stated they're no longer useful, I've just said to the average person knowing more about Psychology could be more beneficial.

I've had this argument many times with school friends, me studying Psychology and them studying Chemistry/Biology/Physics/Maths. They claim Psychology shouldn't be recognised as a Science because as they argue "it simply isn't".

I know most of you will agree, as the majority of TSR do these subjects but surely these days it's more beneficial for the common person to know more about how their mind works than it is for them to know about the structure of atoms?

15% of people with depression will commit suicide, around 340 million people suffer from depresion and suicide is the leading cause of death among adults and children under 35 years old. That's 51 million people with depression that will commit suicide. Around 60 million people died in world war two, and we would do anything to prevent World War 2 from happening again. So what about the 51 million estimated to commit suicide with depression? If they were more knowledged with how they think and with therapies that can help them get better how many lives would be saved.

Take Gary Speed the Welsh manager that killed himself. He seemed fine, but obviously he was suffering deep inside to take his own life. Perhaps he knew more about his mind he'd be able to have seeken help. Psychologists seem foreign to most people, Psychology as a subject is a very useful tool.

I'm not arguing that Psychology is superior to the Sciences, but should it be fully accepted as a Science?


Here are a few key posts that I'll add.

What's your argument? Psychology is important and there should be considered a science? Changes in socioeconomic policies would probably save 10-fold that number but I don't hear anyone ranting and raving about people not considering politics a science.

Erm, I'm currently an IB natural sciences student at Cambridge, taking experimental psychology as one of my second year options.

The course does emphasise experimental technique, just as any other natural sciences option and if you choose to take it as a part II subject, you will get a BPS recognised degree.

I'm sorry what Socioeconomic policies are these? How the **** would politics being a Science save lives?

Are you 100% sure about that? I heard otherwise?

And...

Tit Hallers only

http://www.psychol.cam.ac.uk/pages/teaching/bps.html

BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!...repeat ad nausea

May be controversial but one of my teachers teaches both Biology and Psychology and she said that Biology is far more difficult and demanding than the former. So regardless of the content, in a high school context I don't think it's seen as rigorous enough a subject for it to be considered a Science in the same way as Biology, Chemistry and Physics are.