Psychology
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Psychology |
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Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind; our inner, subjective experience, and behavior; our observable actions.
Modern psychology began in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychological laboratory at the University of Leipzig. Though there are different schools of psychology (with the two prominent paradigms being "Psychoanalytic" and "Cognitive-Behavioral") all clinical psychologists value the idea of confidentiality with their clients as the main stepping stone to treatment.
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[edit] Differences between psychology and other disciplines
The primary difference between psychology and other similar disciplines (e.g., philosophy, sociology, and anthropology) is that it generally focuses on individuals and change. This is in contrast to, for example, sociology, which focuses more on group behavior and society, or biology, which focuses on physiological processes. Nevertheless, there is often interdisciplinary overlap (e.g., between social psychology and sociology). A burgeoning trend is to investigate the neurological causes of thought and behavior, creating considerable overlap between some areas of psychology and neuroscience (e.g., cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, and social cognitive neuroscience).
Within the last century a large number of the sub-fields in psychology have embraced a more rigorous application of the scientific method than its sister disciplines. However, this is starting to change as the influence of cultural anthropology and arm-chair theorizing in sociology wane. Studies in treatment efficacy have become the source of theory, rather than theory guiding practice.
In recent years, psychology has been going through a crisis of confidence. An attempt to reproduce 27 well-known studies failed in more than half of cases. Some of those whose studies failed to be reproduced accused the reproduction study of bullying.[1] In another study, many published psychology papers have been accused of using flawed statistics and of failure to examine alternative hypotheses.[2]
[edit] Psychology in popular culture
In the general public the most prominent source for ideas about psychology come from pop psychology which is aimed at the mass market, often through self help books and large group awareness training motivational seminars. Pop psychology is generally disdained by those in the broader psychology field because of its widely varying quality, lack of peer review, oversimplification of complex psychological principles, and frequent inclusion of ideas taken from pseudoscience.
Another prominent source is from historical, anecdotal and personal experience with clinical psychology. Clinical psychology is popularly linked to psychoanalysis and Freud. None of his ideas were developed using any sort of testable hypotheses and almost all have been repudiated over time. Modern Psychology places a high emphasis on empirical testing and data for various interventions. This emphasis is seen throughout the varies orientations of psychology such as Cognitive Behavioral and Psychoanalytic. The empirical testing is peer reviewed for publication in various journals. Empirically based treatments such as Action-Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy have been repeatedly shown to reduce troublesome symptoms in clients.
There are, however, sub-sets of psychology which focus on pseudo-science and believe that Psychology cannot be a "hard/regulated science." Infamously, the "Integrative Psychology" movement in California, started by Ken Wilbur, seeks to incorporate spirituality as a dimension of health.
The fact that these two branches are the source for most opinions on psychology may explain why the much more scientifically rigorous and instructive sub-fields (such as cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology, and neuro-psychology) have had to fight an uphill battle towards widespread acceptance.
[edit] Notable psychologists
- Albert Bandura, investigated how individuals learn from others and developed social learning theory.
- Sigmund Freud, based on case histories, wrote extensively about childhood, personality, society, and the unconscious. Significantly influenced popular ideas about psychology.
- William James, founded the psychology department at Harvard University.
- Carl Jung, influential psychologist who is known for the concept of archetypes as well as some minor study of psychology through pseudoscience such as mythology and dream interpretation.
- Alfred Kinsey, conducted research on human sexuality.
- Jean Piaget, conducted seminal research into the origins of intelligence in children.
- Wilhelm Reich, known for his psychological theories on fascism, later became involved with orgone energy pseudoscience.
- Carl Rogers, founder of Humanistic Psychology, he is one of the most influential psychologists in professional circles and in popular culture.
- B.F. Skinner, emphasized empiricism and the study of observable behavior rather than subjective mental processes.
- Wilhelm Wundt, created the first psychology lab. Father of modern psychology.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] See also
- Psychiatry
- Behaviorism
- Cognitive revolution
- Humanistic psychology
- Memory
- Myers-Briggs personality test