Psychology 104
September, 15 2016
Introduction
Psychology is an important part of science that deals with many aspects of how the human brain works and how humans behave. However, people have been wondering if psychology can be generalized for a whole population and other cultures. Most psychologist have picked a side and they are willing to defend their sides with every piece of evidence they have supporting their side. Generalization is important because it enables psychologist to study a small group of people, that are part of a population and it lets them gain insight on how the population has changed over time. However, if it turns out that generalization does not accurately represent a population than the psychologist will have to …show more content…
Jeffery Jensen Arrnet, a psychologist, claims that American psychological research cannot be generalized to other cultures. He states that such a small amount of the population is ever tested that it cannot accurately represent the rest of the population, especially in America. Arrnet states that all humans do not have the same psychological process due to different experiences they have all had. He stresses that psychology should focus more on how people live day to day and how cultures are different rather than focus on the basic process of testing a hypothesis. One experiment that he posted in a scientific journal claims that experiments have been done on people that are of different races, religions, family structures and the opposite sexes and that the experiments show how when given the same test, different results were recorded for each of them.
As an opposite point of view, Gerald J. Haeffel, a psychologist, believes that American psychological research can be generalized for other cultures. Haeffel proceeded to state that there have been experiments that prove most humans act the same when tested and that the basic process of gathering information is the best set up for psychology. Haeffel goes on record saying that tests have found that all humans share a common genome, brain organization and capacity for cognition. He brings up the fact that with the system psychology is using …show more content…
Haeffel stated that Arnett misunderstands how basic research works. Although, the connection between basic research and how humans handle problems are not too clear. Basic research cannot provide an answer to why people become terrorists and why people are drawn to fight in wars over something that could be worked out. Basic research will only take psychologist so far into what someone was thinking when performing acts such as murder and starting wars. Psychology should focus on the basic process of gathering information and making a hypothesis; however, it should also include how different cultures and different backgrounds affect a person’s mind and how they
September, 15 2016
Introduction
Psychology is an important part of science that deals with many aspects of how the human brain works and how humans behave. However, people have been wondering if psychology can be generalized for a whole population and other cultures. Most psychologist have picked a side and they are willing to defend their sides with every piece of evidence they have supporting their side. Generalization is important because it enables psychologist to study a small group of people, that are part of a population and it lets them gain insight on how the population has changed over time. However, if it turns out that generalization does not accurately represent a population than the psychologist will have to …show more content…
Jeffery Jensen Arrnet, a psychologist, claims that American psychological research cannot be generalized to other cultures. He states that such a small amount of the population is ever tested that it cannot accurately represent the rest of the population, especially in America. Arrnet states that all humans do not have the same psychological process due to different experiences they have all had. He stresses that psychology should focus more on how people live day to day and how cultures are different rather than focus on the basic process of testing a hypothesis. One experiment that he posted in a scientific journal claims that experiments have been done on people that are of different races, religions, family structures and the opposite sexes and that the experiments show how when given the same test, different results were recorded for each of them.
As an opposite point of view, Gerald J. Haeffel, a psychologist, believes that American psychological research can be generalized for other cultures. Haeffel proceeded to state that there have been experiments that prove most humans act the same when tested and that the basic process of gathering information is the best set up for psychology. Haeffel goes on record saying that tests have found that all humans share a common genome, brain organization and capacity for cognition. He brings up the fact that with the system psychology is using …show more content…
Haeffel stated that Arnett misunderstands how basic research works. Although, the connection between basic research and how humans handle problems are not too clear. Basic research cannot provide an answer to why people become terrorists and why people are drawn to fight in wars over something that could be worked out. Basic research will only take psychologist so far into what someone was thinking when performing acts such as murder and starting wars. Psychology should focus on the basic process of gathering information and making a hypothesis; however, it should also include how different cultures and different backgrounds affect a person’s mind and how they