Is psychology a science?

Before discussing psychology’s scientific validity, let’s explore some common reasons for skepticism. These can include, but aren’t limited to, the following:

• A perceived lack of clearly defined terminology: Critics argue psychological concepts and terms are open to different interpretations. That makes it difficult to establish objective standards or measurements.
• Absence of practical application: Another criticism of psychology is that it doesn’t understand people enough to develop broadly workable solutions or technologies. This lack of practical application fuels skepticism.
• Its categorization as a social science: Because psychology is often viewed as a social science, some question its scientific nature. The variables involved in psychology are more complex and less predictable than in natural science.

Despite these concerns, a compelling argument can be made that psychology is a science. 

The word psychology comes to us from the Greek word psychē, meaning soul or spirit, and logos, meaning explanation. Similarly, the history of psychology as a science is rooted in ancient Greece.

Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle conducted philosophical inquiries into the nature of the human soul. In his book The Republic, Plato put forth his theory that experience could not affect essential aspects of human nature. Aristotle, on the other hand, placed the origins of human behavior on lived experiences.

Though these philosophers never went as far as producing a scientific discipline out of these theories, their work provided a philosophical blueprint to establish psychology as a science down the line. Philosophers like René Descartes, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke also laid much of the philosophical groundwork that would be formalized into psychology as science.

Beginning in the mid-1800s, theories of the mind and human behavior began to formalize into a real scientific discipline. The German physicist and physician Hermann von Helmholtz, for instance, explored how hearing and vision are interconnected and how senses can be deceived. By creating experiments to prove the fallibility of human senses, Helmholtz helped develop the discipline of psychophysics, a precursor of psychology as a science.

Throughout the century, psychologists worked to formalize the discipline and introduce scientific methodology. Formal education in the subject was developed, along with textbooks and experimental research. Experiments were performed on things like senses, reaction times and perceptions. These produced data that could be experimentally reproduced, published and analyzed.

Though many psychologists disagreed on the exact origins of human behavior, and though many subdisciplines and theories moved in and out of prominence, it was during this time that psychology was formalized as a science.

Moving into the 20th and 21st centuries, many psychological theories were attested, evaluated, proved, disproved and revised. In all, the scientific method has been used to produce theories that are useful and widely applicable.

What makes psychology a social science as opposed to a natural science is that it does not solely deal with the makeup of the physical world. Though much of psychology is based on the physical makeup of the brain, it also takes into account personal and sociological influences.

While two electrons may be exactly alike, and any experimental insights drawn from one will certainly apply to the other, the same can’t be said of two people. At the same time, there are enough commonalities between those two people to draw objective insights.

In this way, psychology is distinctly not a natural science. Yet the centrality of research, and the scientific method in that research, classifies it as a social science.

So, how do psychologists use science in their work? Let’s look at the various research methods that exist in psychology.

Science relies on two main types of research: basic research and applied research.

Basic research is all about finding facts. It’s not research toward a particular application in everyday life. One example would be a cognitive psychologist looking into different studying techniques and seeing how each influences memory. In this example, the research is not being used toward any particular application. It is performed to find useful information, which may have applications down the line.

Applied research, on the other hand, focuses on how research can solve a problem in everyday life. Trying to develop insights on depression while attempting to treat test subjects for their depression would be an example of applied research.

Many psychologists perform both basic and applied research, and insights found in one type of research can and do affect those found in the other. Both are performed within the bounds of the scientific method and produce results empirically.

Due to the breadth of rigorous research, evaluation and analysis involved in psychology, the subject is considered a science. What’s more, with its established pedigree and philosophies that have been developed and refined over centuries, psychology promises to provide useful insights well into the future.

Applied psychology is exactly what it sounds like: psychology that is applied to everyday problems. It uses past findings and new research to help solve problems of human behavior. Applied psychology includes a number of concentrations, including media and technology.

An example of a program in applied psychology would be University of Phoenix’s Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology with a concentration in Media and Technology. In this program, students learn how to apply psychological theories within a variety of industries and gain skills to solve complex business issues that involve technology. 

Industrial-organizational psychology is built around the applications of psychology in the workplace. Careers in industrial-organizational psychology involve applying “principles of psychology to human resources, administration, management, sales and marketing problems,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Psychologists in business organizations may assist in developing hiring methods, for instance, that accurately assess candidates’ skills and strengths.

Is psychology a science and how can it be applied? Whether you want to focus on helping individuals or apply psychological skills to an industry like advertising, marketing or business, an online psychology degree from University of Phoenix offers the flexibility to study the field on your schedule. Explore the Bachelor of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and the  Bachelor of Science in Applied Psychology with a concentration in Media and Technology.