Psychology is not a science.

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   Hilltrotposted 8 years ago

   It simply isn't.
   
   Psychology is like the old pagan religions.
   
   Certain people are giving made up answers to something they actually don't know the answer to.
   
   Psychologists don't actually know what causes certain things.  Otherwise, they would be able to fix it.  Instead, they do their best to get others to live with the problems they have.
   
   Trangender is the best example of this.  There is no way to test and see if someone is transgender, because psychologists don't actually know or understand it.  The individual person, decides what gender he or she is and there is no way to tell if he or she is lying.

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      dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      No one said psychology was science!
      Neither is philosophy, sociology, or religion for that matter.
      Even scientific studies used in medicine often can't explain things.

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         psycheskinnerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Actually plenty of people do say they are psychologists and scientists.  I am one of them.  Psychology is a collection of disciplines relating to the mind and/or behavior, some are within science and some are not.

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            dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            There are also chiropractors that call themselves doctors too!
            
            No one debates whether or not if chemistry or biology are sciences.
            The fact that there is some "grey area" with psychology indicates from a layman's perspective that it's far from being a clear cut science.

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               psycheskinnerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               The bits that are science, are science.  If a person uses the scientific method, has a graduate science degree, and publishes in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, they (specifically me) are a scientist.  Studying the behavior of people rather than proteins is quite beside the point. Science is a way of doing things, not a paper crown you are awarded for choosing to study things that can't be seen with the naked eye.

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                  dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  I believe you're missing my point.
                  I said from a "layman's perspective" it's not considered a science.
                  Most psychology degrees are listed under "Liberal Arts" rather than science degrees. That encompasses such majors as English or French.
                  
                  Aside from the additional years of schooling required to become a psychiatrist versus a psychologist. Psychiatrists attend medical school and are trained in general medicine. After earning an MD, they practice four years of residency training in psychiatry. They can write prescriptions.
                  
                  Another factor why laymen often have less respect for psychologists is what can be termed "pop psychologists" who have radio shows, write books on dating and relationships or is a guest on daytime talk shows.
                  
                  If you introduce two people as doctor to an individual and they learn that one of them is a MD and the other has a PhD the "average person"  will say the MD is a "real doctor".  It's always been that way.
                  
                  No amount of explanation of scientific methods used will change their opinion. They see it as being similar to a paralegal versus an attorney.

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                     psycheskinnerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     Funny because I talk about being a psychology/scientist many times a day; never had a layman look even slightly confused.  They seem to think science is doing experiments and stuff, which is totally accurate when it comes to my job.  Nor have they ever assumed I was saying I was a medical doctor, because that has nothing to do with it.
                     
                     So lets put aside the assumptions about what other people think, what do you think?

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   FatFreddysCatposted 8 years ago

   Ummmmm... Okay. You joined this site just to post this? (shrugs)

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      calculus-geometryposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      most likely just a regular user who doesn't want his/her money-making account sullied by association with the topical forum.  i wonder who it is...

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         paradigmsearchposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         I see you are still big on making false accusations.

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   psycheskinnerposted 8 years ago

   If creating the perfect lie detector is the job of psychology, I guess I've been doing it wrong all these years.

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   maryjahn222posted 8 years ago

   Hilltrot has unreal expectations by writing "Psychology is like the old pagan religions.   Certain people are giving made up answers to something they actually don't know the answer to.      Psychologists don't actually know what causes certain things.  Otherwise, they would be able to fix it. "     
   
   Why would anyone want to conflate everything useful with 'science' anyhow ? Who ever thought science was foolproof, unchanging and never in error, and then revised ? huh ?
   Those who magically wish for a 'quick fix', mostly easy too, are just wishing., Educated degreed psychologists are suppose to "know the answers" to the weird wild un-normal ways of humans, especially urban ones who like to write on-line ? That anyone has the magic key to 'fix it' is a common but erroneous Ass-umption.
   
   Fix "it" ? huh?  as if with a surgeons knife or chemical aids ? or just words and insights into person's own choices and their varied personalities?     who is suppose to FIX any other human ?     as "no cure" is ever made, just a delay in dying by medical helpers and just some adjustments in attitudes, behaviors, demands/entitlements, and understandings in human minds.   The desire to have such exorbitant fix-it controls is not a realistic expectation, but a demand.   That too is a problem, as is living with any others, including non-human types too.”

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      Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I call a friend when I have a problem to work things out. Some don't have personal friends, so they have a little extra money to hire a friend like a psychologist. Who may give them depression pills to help with the mind Doctors mortgage.

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   maryjahn222posted 8 years ago

   castlepaloma:   everyone who thinks they can do 'it ' ...fix their lives and mind... just do it !
   and find an auto mechanic that agrees with that same attitude... go, do it yourself... 
   no one cares if you suffer or "break down". " 
   psychology is a study with some valuable learnings - then documented , revealed,  & shared to HELP and benefit those who are less arrogant or cynical. ..or those less scared of what may emerge...  no bleeding on others allowed, though. 
   the disdain of this field of learnings is common, not sensible tho. with same distrust, dont see other medical services, except allopathic certified ones that are in big businesses to push pills or do  bit of cutting or selling their privileges of hospital admissions, for  emergencies. Every selects where they  might find assistance. "friends" are  cheap. 'use'  them.  they are happy to listen to your special complaints & save on legitimate services.  easy.

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      Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      There are 20% claiming  Canadain  they are mental I'll or suffer depression. Most of these people really don't home a serious problem. The source of their problems is in their mind.

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         We are so creative and imaginative we can imagine the worst. Then negativity becomes real when it isn't. Our challenge is to focus on reality which is 100% positive.

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            Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Do find 90% of worries do not materialize to come true.
            
            Although my dreams are different, they are so far 100% true, and have saved my life and others a few times.

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               Kathryn L Hillposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               I had a dream that a nuclear bomb was dropped in Colorado. I was close enough to feel the effects of the intense heat and I knew I was going to die.

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                  Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  Be concerned if it repeats.

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   sparksterposted 8 years ago

   Exactly the same points could be made about other scientific fields. There's a lot of "junk science" out there which does nothing but disinfom based on biases whilst simultaneously projecting those biases onto others in order to defend their stance and that itself is a psychological phenomenon. Nothing and everything can be considered to be science. Psychology is generally considered to be "soft science" or "social science" - but it CAN be tested with replicable results and I know this myself because I've done it a myriad of times. Somnambulic hypnosis for example - put someone into a somnambulic trance and command them to move objects without touching them. What happens? They perform telekinesis without realizing they are doing it. The results can be observed and tested objectively very easily but of course neither psychology or science teach you this because when it comes down to it, they don't want you knowing how the true nature of reality works otherwise you can't be controlled. Even psychologists and scientists are being controlled. Mind is the true creator of reality. Simple as that.

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      Castlepalomaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      There is a branch of science to everything. From an athlete it was 90% about physical then when it got to a world class level it was 90% mentally.
      
      As an world class artist today, the work ethic has been more about first in order desire, attitude, focus and least important talent.
      
      This clairvoyant phenomenon I process is something else.  Nothing come close to be more of greater burden of unpopularity yet both enlightening. It very slow science study and understanding because it's connected to some gene or natural talent or the 99% unknown spirituality.
      
      I'm just glad they don't burn witches and wizards anymore.

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