Is Psychology Science?

JustinC writes:First off, let's talk about psychological theories. Popper famously derided Freud's ideas as being unfalsifiable. At best, they were explanatory frameworks that helped one understand there own behavior and guide their lives. At worst, the obfuscated one's self-awareness and hindered their ability to accurately assess their internal problems. The question comes down to the fact that you can't really get objective evidence when it comes to psychological analysis. There is always the "leading the witness" problem. A patient may think at the end of a session that they gained some deep insights to their behavior, and this may be true. But how does one know they aren't merely interpreting their behavior interms of some arbitrary framework? How do you assess the theories contact with reality? How do I observe the Id, Ego, or Superego? Or how do I assess whether my actions are guided by unconscious motivations that aren't immediately apparent to my conscious self?

JustinC writes:If is of my opinion that the discipline is riddled with pseudoscientific concepts and methodologies, especially clinical psychology.

JustinC writes:Shouldn't the inability to define "mental disorder" in a meaningful way give pause to the practitioners and open up a debate as to the efficacy of the incessant manufacturing of diseases?

JustinC writes:In the recent DSM, there is a "sibling rivalry disorder." In previous editions "homosexuality" was considered a mental disorder. Now, I ask, what exactly changed that they decided homosexuality is no longer a mental disorder and the sibling rivalry suddenly is? What are the criteria for mental disorders as opposed to "normal" behavior?

tudwell writes:Most mental illnesses are biological diseases also, caused by chemical imbalances or malfunctions in the brain. Some of the sillier ones (sibling rivalry disorder?) may not be so objectively identified, but bipolar disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, and other prominent illnesses are known to be caused by chemical imbalances.

RAZD writes:In populations where the sample size is small this may be difficult, but where we have a large sample (say for battle fatigue?) they should be able to manage it.

JustinC writes:Patients fill out questionnaires about their behavior and thoughts. Layman and psychologists ask patient about their behaviors and thoughts and presumably get honest answers.Then what? We see who can better classify the behaviors as disorders according to descriptions given in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for mental disorders?

JustinC writes:How do we check who "really" got the right answers?

JustinC writes:what empirical result or conceptual change resulted in homosexuality not being classified as a mental disorder and sibling rivalry being ruled as such?

JustinC writes:Would you say clincial psychology is the practice of classifying mental diseases and finding effective treatments for them?

JustinC writes:And psychiatry is ...?

JustinC writes:Can you give me a definition as to what constitutes normal behavioral variations and to what constitutes a diseased behavioral pattern?

Larni writes:Please show the 'inability to define mental disorders' or, take a look at the DSM-IV for all the diagnostic tools you could ask for.

JustinC writes:I've been diagnosed with ADHD. I never thought I had it, nor has it noticeably had a negative impact on my life. Sure I'm a little hyperactive but can't that just be classified as a part of my personality and not a disorder?

National Institute of Mental Health writes:Not everyone who is overly hyperactive, inattentive, or impulsive has ADHD. Since most people sometimes blurt out things they didn't mean to say, or jump from one task to another, or become disorganized and forgetful, how can specialists tell if the problem is ADHD?Because everyone shows some of these behaviors at times, the diagnosis requires that such behavior be demonstrated to a degree that is inappropriate for the person's age. The diagnostic guidelines also contain specific requirements for determining when the symptoms indicate ADHD. The behaviors must appear early in life, before age 7, and continue for at least 6 months. Above all, the behaviors must create a real handicap in at least two areas of a person's life such as in the schoolroom, on the playground, at home, in the community, or in social settings. So someone who shows some symptoms but whose schoolwork or friendships are not impaired by these behaviors would not be diagnosed with ADHD. Nor would a child who seems overly active on the playground but functions well elsewhere receive an ADHD diagnosis.To assess whether a child has ADHD, specialists consider several critical questions: Are these behaviors excessive, long-term, and pervasive? That is, do they occur more often than in other children the same age? Are they a continuous problem, not just a response to a temporary situation? Do the behaviors occur in several settings or only in one specific place like the playground or in the schoolroom? The person's pattern of behavior is compared against a set of criteria and characteristics of the disorder as listed in the DSM-IV-TR.

JustinC writes:But, to clarify the issue for me: if I wanted to propose homosexuality as a mental disorder, what criteria would have to be fulfilled?

RAZD writes:And can write prescriptions for drugs, psychologists can't.