Psychology A         D7J6 34

 

What is psychology, and where did it come from?

 

Last week, we began discussing some of the major ideas in psychology, and your tutor distributed two handouts, one on the history of psychology, and the other on defining psychology.

 

We will continue this week to seek a definition of ‘what psychology is’ – not an easy question, and one on which many psychologists disagree – before moving on to explore different approaches in psychology and different research methods used by psychologists.

 

Is psychology a science?

 

To answer this question, we should perhaps start by asking ‘what is a science’?

 

Working in small groups, discuss what you think the terms ‘science’ and ‘scientific’ mean. Can these be applied to studies of people and society, or can they only ever relate to chemical elements and biological tissues?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In recent years, some theorists have described psychology as a ‘pseudo science’ while others have said that psychology should not be considered a science and should not attempt to use scientific methods.

 

Re-read pages 2 – 4 of the handout on the history of psychology. Do you think that treating humans as machines helps us to understand human behaviour? What about examining our brains? What aspects of ‘being human’ might this miss out?

Inner experiences or outer behaviour?

 

You may have said that these approaches miss out on our ‘feelings’, or our ‘conscious experience’. The study of consciousness is a growing area in psychology at present, with researchers asking questions such as ‘what is it like to taste coffee’?

 

How would you answer this question? Can we describe these experiences through studies of outward behaviour, such as facial expressions, or through studying the physiological effects of coffee on our brains and bodies?

 

Can we describe such things in any meaningful way at all? Would it be better to stick to what we can do – measuring tangible behaviours?

 

 

Why should we care?

 

After all this debate, what does psychology actually contribute to our understanding and to our society? How can it be used to improve people’s lives, make our businesses more effective and help our children to do well at school?

 

Psychology in the UK is regulated by the British Psychological Society (BPS). If you intend to do a psychology degree at university, check whether it is recognised by the BPS. If you want to eventually work as a psychologist, you will need a BPS accredited degree.

 

A short summary of applied psychology can be found in the handout ‘Psychology: a short definition’. You will find further details at www.bps.org.uk

 

 

Taking a psychological approach – why do we find people attractive?

 

Why do we find some people attractive and not others? How might psychologists go about studying interpersonal attraction?

 

Working in small groups, discuss the following: