What is Psychology?

Author: Smith Solace


Defining such a diverse subject as psychology is no easy task. The Readers' Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder (1993) states that psychology is "the scientific study of the human mind and its functions esp. those affecting behaviour in a given context."
This establishes, as we did, that psychology is a science. Under the subtitle of "The Scientific Method" in chapter 1 of "Principles of Behavioural Neuroscience" (1995), Beatty states that "there is no one scientific method. Rather, science is more like a state of mind. It is an adapted to a wide variety of specific questions in the various fields of inquiry."
This implies that psychology contains a paradox: it is a science which seeks to study the human mind, but science is like a state of mind. This suggestion, therefore, reflects the complexity of the mind: science, like the mind, has many subdivisions and definitions.
Beatty goes on to say that despite differences in the sciences "at the core of the scientific state of mind are a number of common elements." These comprise "objectivity, observation, experimentation, proper controls, statistical evaluation, independent verification of results, and evolution. The majority of these are included on our psychology course, which backs up the claim that psychology is a science.
Psychology, then, has the characteristics of a science and explores and studies the human mind. So, then, what is this?
Beatty, also in chapter 1, gives examples of how people believe the brain and mind exist; monisms, dualisms and pluralisms. Are they one unit, two, or more? If they are two or more, how do they interact?
One of the most searching questions raised by A. R. Luria's "The Man with a Shattered World" is "Is the mind really me?" To explore the answer to this is is necessary to study the mind. But how is this accomplished? How different people react to something may give an observer an inclination of what goes on in their mind.
For example, this weekend, I went home for a family christening. Of course, all the inevitable questions came up. It was very interesting to see the differing reactions when I said I am studying psychology. One man said, "I'm going, I can't say anything to you can I?" Others exclaimed but yet others reacted on a congratulatory note. What makes people's reactions so varied? Is it how they perceive things differently? And why is this? There are so many influences - the views of people close to them, the media and suchlike.
I don't think I have come to any great conclusions here, but have raised more questions to ponder.
References: Readers' Digest Complete Wordfinder (1993) Principles of Behavioural Neuroscience, J. Beatty (1995) The man with a shattered world, A. R. Luria