The purpose of this discussion is to debate whether or not psychology should be considered a science, and conclude with why it should. This can be seen as an important question as the status of science can be potentially influential and dangerous if an individual or group uses the label of science incorrectly for their own benefit (Novella, 2010). Science, in the view of the public, is something trustworthy and can influence people’s behaviour (Sarah Castell, 2014) so the information provided in the name of science, should be objective and reliable.
There are multiple definitions of what science is and many requirements for something to be considered scientific. It is illustrated by Steven W. Gilbert that science is a process which constructs …show more content…
The existence of false memory syndrome questions the reliability of psychological treatments as there are many cases of families being destroyed because of false memory implants, such as Beth Rutherford, (Elizabeth, 1997). Consequently, psychology cannot be considered a science because of the lack of consistency and subjectivity of psychological treatments, showing the strain between science and practice.
However, research into psychology is meant to be conducted in a scientific way so that it can be considered reliable, hence why in the Oxford dictionary (Oxford, n.d.) psychology is defined as “The scientific study” of human minds and their functions, particularly the functions that affect human behaviour in a certain context. However, this can be criticised as it is an opinionated definition, as defining psychology as a “scientific study” is a debatable topic with no empirical evidence from studies to support it, therefore it cannot be used to argue that psychology is currently
There are multiple definitions of what science is and many requirements for something to be considered scientific. It is illustrated by Steven W. Gilbert that science is a process which constructs …show more content…
The existence of false memory syndrome questions the reliability of psychological treatments as there are many cases of families being destroyed because of false memory implants, such as Beth Rutherford, (Elizabeth, 1997). Consequently, psychology cannot be considered a science because of the lack of consistency and subjectivity of psychological treatments, showing the strain between science and practice.
However, research into psychology is meant to be conducted in a scientific way so that it can be considered reliable, hence why in the Oxford dictionary (Oxford, n.d.) psychology is defined as “The scientific study” of human minds and their functions, particularly the functions that affect human behaviour in a certain context. However, this can be criticised as it is an opinionated definition, as defining psychology as a “scientific study” is a debatable topic with no empirical evidence from studies to support it, therefore it cannot be used to argue that psychology is currently