Is psychology purely theoretical?

[Jaymes]

Continued from the homosexuality thread.

Yes, actually I am taking one right now. The instructor of the course has stated that there is really no proof of how the mind works.

We don't know entirely how the mind works, but thanks to modern technology we can see it as it's working and learn from there the mechanisms behind it.

What's theoretical about Pavlov's dog/bell experiment? Showing a direct connection between providing a new stimulus (a bell) at the same time as an old stimulus (food) causes the brain to associate those two is completely different from trying to understand dreams.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

Psychology can't be all theoretical because it is a science and is based on empirical data. However, the relationships established between all the data is largely theoretical IMO.

 

[Nehustan]

Psychology can't be all theoretical because it is a science and is based on empirical data. However, the relationships established between all the data is largely theoretical IMO.

I was just going to say that some psychology is less 'social science' and more 'biological science', which I think is what you mean A_E. Freud & Jung verge on philosophy, whereas the study of neurobiology/biological psychology is very much falsifiable and reproduceable, but as with all good science has hypothesis (hunches) and theories (explanations) as inherently important.

 

[pdoel]

Well first, let's define a few terms:

psychology
n. pl. psy·chol·o·gies

1. The science that deals with mental processes and behavior.
2. The emotional and behavioral characteristics of an individual, group, or activity: the psychology of war.
3. Subtle tactical action or argument used to manipulate or influence another: He used poor psychology on his employer when trying to make the point.
4. Philosophy. The branch of metaphysics that studies the soul, the mind, and the relationship of life and mind to the functions of the body.

psychiatry[/b]

1. The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.

Psychology is more the study of the mind and behavior. Psychiatry is the actual medical studies involving the mind. So, from a strictly psychological standpoint, psychology is more theory, than medical proof of the structure of the brain.

I will assume, for the sake of argument, that you meant psychology/psychiatry for this debate. In which case, it's still not as cut and dry as you may think. There are still thousands of theories out there on how the mind is developed (physically and psychologically).

Even something that seems as obvious as the study around Pavlov's dog is not a 100% certainty. Sure, we can condition ourselves and train ourselves to certain behavior. But that doesn't mean we will always follow that pattern. Free will is a very powerful thing.

I can train a dog to come to me when I call him. But there are other stimuli that are out of my control. No matter how well trained an animal is, there will always be other factors in determining a behavior. So, unfortunately, when it comes to the actions of the mind, there is not, and will not ever be, a clear answer that fits 100% of the time. Even with everything we know, it's still a science that continues to be studied. There are many debates, conflicts, etc., on how the mind works. So, no, it's really not so simple a question as you may think. Even with all of the advances they've made in the subject to date.

 

[Fluffy]

Even something that seems as obvious as the study around Pavlov's dog is not a 100% certainty.

As is the case with any empirical analysis. It certainly isn't a requirement for scientific knowledge.