Psychology is recognized today as an independent discipline and specifically a scientific discipline. However, this was not always the case in academia. While the discipline’s history extends back to the ancient Greeks, psychology became its own field in the 19th Century. In 1879, Wilhelm Wundt described himself as a psychologist. He was the first person to do so. He also established a laboratory dedicated to the empirical study of the field. With these actions, he allowed psychology to be recognized as an independent branch of science. Science is based upon the use of empirical study to gather knowledge. Since empirical scientific experiments can be used to explore psychology as a discipline, it clearly can be called a scientific pursuit. It can also be recognized as its own field. While other fields may explore neuroscience and the brain, they do not specifically examine the discipline of psychology.
John Locke developed the concept of empiricism and its use to assist in scientific discovery. Empiricism recognizes that knowledge can only be discovered through the use of the human senses. The empirical approach challenged the concept of rationalism. The concept of rationalism believes that knowledge can be achieved through reasoning and logic of the human mind. Locke’s empirical approach quickly transferred into the scientific disciplines. Today, academia recognizes the empirical approach as the scientific approach for gathering knowledge (McLeod 2008).
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The debate on whether or not psychology is a science has been ongoing since the 19th Century. This developed as a result of Wundt’s establishment of a psychology lab and his desire to explore the mind and its diseases in an empirical format. It is important to recognize that not all psychologists are scientists. They do not engage in scientific research, nor do they publish scientific papers. They may practice psychology in private or public practices. Others may teach psychology as a discipline in secondary schools and colleges. However, it is also important to realize that not all physicians are scientists. Some physicians choose to remain removed from scientific debate and discipline. They practice medicine as private physicians or physicians within the public realm. They do engage in some scientific behavior. This is how diagnoses are made and treatment methodologies are utilized. Psychologists in practice also engage in this same behavior. They utilize their knowledge of a discipline to diagnose individuals based upon known diagnostic criteria. They also decide upon a proper diagnostic plan for a patient based upon this knowledge. In this manner, physicians and psychologists both utilize the scientific knowledge of their fields to practice their fields.
Psychology and the other “social sciences,” such as sociology and anthropology, are often referred to as the “soft sciences.” This is in comparison to the “hard sciences,” such as chemistry, biology and physics. The term “soft sciences” is often used derisively by many in the academic world. This is incorrect and actually represents a level of snobbishness within the academic world. Biology and chemistry develop hypotheses and use controlled experimentation to support or disprove the hypotheses. Psychology engages in this same rigorous scientific method. As explained by Dr. Timothy Wilson (2012) in an article, “Most of us know someone who has suffered from depression and sought psychotherapy. He or she probably benefited from therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy that have been shown to work in randomized clinical trials.” This is an accurate statement. It also indicates the value of psychology in society. Many psychological treatments have been proven extremely effective through randomized clinical trials. Randomized clinical trials are utilized in psychological experiments, just as they are utilized when examining the efficacy and safety of a medication. They both utilize controls that are randomly assigned from a sample in the population. In this method, they both show the use of scientific theory in an attempt to gather knowledge. In addition, the use of these studies helps to validate information that has benefited countless individuals. Just as medication and surgical procedures have improved the lives of individuals with medical issues, psychological treatments have improved the lives of individuals struggling with depression and other psychological disorders.
Specific theories within psychology also support the argument that psychology is its own science and its own discipline. One of these theories is the school of Gestalt psychology. Some have argued that psychology is merely a branch of neuroscience. This is incorrect. Psychology considers the holistic nature of the brain, rather than specific structures within it. Neuroscience may examine the importance of the amygdala as a structure. However, psychology recognizes that this structure has importance between its structure. It is a part of the brain; however, when combined with other parts, its nature changes. Neuroscience cannot explain how or where consciousness develops in an individual. Physics cannot explain this crucial aspect of humanity. Consciousness can only be understood and explored as a manifestation of the holistic brain. Gestalt psychology understands that “the sum is greater than its parts.” This “sum” is clearly seen when individuals attempt to explore the conscious mind, as well as the unconscious mind. The “hard sciences” such as neuroscience, cannot adequately define what consciousness is and where it comes from in the brain. Psychology and specifically, Gestalt psychology, alone can offer answers to these questions. The brain and mind are not made up of “parts,” but rather what these parts create together. Recent scientific studies on unconsciousness have clearly indicated that consciousness results from the sum of the brain, not the parts. When we lose consciousness, the parts of the brain no longer communicate effectively with each other. Consciousness, therefore, does not result from one part of the brain. Rather, it is billions of neurons in the brain communicating with each other that create consciousness (Monti, Lutkenhoff, Rubinov, et al, 2013). The ability to study consciousness in a scientific manner clearly indicates that psychology is a science, much like biology and chemistry.
- McLeod, S. (2008). Psychology as a science. Simply Psychology. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/science-psychology.html
- Martin M. Monti, Evan S. Lutkenhoff, Mikail Rubinov, Pierre Boveroux, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Olivia Gosseries, Marie-Aurélie Bruno, Quentin Noirhomme, Mélanie Boly, Steven Laureys. Dynamic Change of Global and Local Information Processing in Propofol-Induced Loss and Recovery of Consciousness. PLoS Computational Biology, 2013; 9 (10): e1003271 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003271
- Wilson, TD. (2012, July 12). Stop bullying the “soft sciences.” Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/12/opinion/la-oe-wilson- social-sciences-20120712
