Is psychology a science?
In the past and maybe where you lived it has been a little soft. but today we take it much more seriously as a science. Everything Is based in the scientific method, utilizing statistics to calculate correlation and probability. For example, I am 99.999999999999999% sure if I drop an apple it will fall. That is science. I am also 70% sure identical twins share an IQ score and I am 43% sure that if I walk into a house there will be 3 clocks and 2 televisions. That is science and the statistics and it is why psychology is a science. There are endless studies that I can refer to but one quick example is the basis of talk therapy is that your sister gets beaten by her boyfriends because she was beaten by her father. 83% of women who were beaten by there father are also beaten by their husbands. So I can assume this is the cause. As the therapist I can now let her talk and figure out why she is attracted to mean guys who beat her. So that late she can understand and not do it. That is one example how psychology is based in science. To J- I'd like to point out that no science proves anything. nothing is explained, it is only suggested though P-values. "But do neurologists study the relation between the brain the mind and the behaviour? Isn't there a branch of psychology for that?" yes, it is the bilogical approach called cognitive neuropsychology. Such as we find a very high correlation between schizophrenic type symptoms and decreased cortical volumes. Because of a disorder the cell is tool slow and it dies. So your brain dies and you can't control your thoughts. Something that is observable in the brain "explains" behavior.
How do I best present my psychology science fair project?
Since you mentioned it specifically, something like people's emotions is truly uncontrollable in the traditional sense of making sure that it doesn't change. This is why having a large number of subjects is very important. When you average your results over a group, the variations between different people's emotions should "disappear" in the statistics. With a large enough sample size, you can assume that the average emotional state of your control group and your experimental groups are the same. Therefore, emotions are no longer a confounding variable.In reality, it can be very difficult to collect enough people to get rid of confounding variables like that (even if you pay them!). I don't know how old you are, but I wouldn't worry too much about the judges hitting you hard for it.
How is psychology related to neuroscience?
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. A behavior is any directly observable action or reaction, and metal processes include internal processes such as: thinking, feeling, and desiring. Historically, these mental processes could only be observed indirectly. Advancements in neuroscience and neuroimaging have made it possible to look at these internal processes more directly (assuming the scientist has designed a valid experiment). Importantly, our neurobiology constrains our behaviors and mental processes. Since psychologists aim to explain, predict, and control (e.g., preventing unwanted behaviors and promoting desirable behaviors) psychological phenomenon, an understanding of the neurobiological and neuropharmacological underpinnings of behavior and mental processes can help scientists make better predictions and design better interventions/treatment plans (e.g., targeting the neurological mechanisms or brain networks that underly speech problems in an individual with parkinson disease) . When psychology and neuroscience get together, they can tackle the following topics:Psychophysics and PerceptionBehavior/Systems/Cognition (I personally analyze data from this domain)Plasticity and Neural DevelopmentClinical and Experimental NeuropsychologyNeuropsychopharmacology.Ultimately, psychology and neuroscience challenge, clarify, and inform one another's theories, hypotheses, and methods. The idea that psychology and neuroscience are completely at odds with one another is a false dilemma.
Why is the Scientific method important in psychology?
All research is based on the scientific method. For something to be considered a working hypothesis it must be measurable and repeatable. The difficulty with psychology is that human behavior and cognition are the topics of investigation. People are not machines and so they are a whole lot less reliable. What the scientific method does, is it leads us to probabilities. These probabilities can then be looked for in the clinical setting. The DSM-V also allows clinicians to categorize mental disorders in such a way that treatment plans can be devised and professionals can communicate effectively with one another. Of the psychological theories, Behaviorism is probably the most grounded in scientific research. The therapist begins by identifying the problem, establishing its frequency and then coming up with a program of reinforcement, positive or negative, to extinguish or enhance a behavior. There really is nothing non-scientific about the theory of Behaviorism. Psychology is a science and it uses the very same techniques as those of the hard sciences to establish its hypotheses. When you try to distinguish it from the hard sciences remember that no scientist has ever seen an atom, we know what electricity does but we have no idea at all what it actually is, life is still a mysterious force, and gravity may pull but it equally may push. Hard sciences are better at predicting events and repeating the predictions but when it comes to actually knowing what things are, well, the scientific method has fallen short of its goals and both the hard and soft sciences are in the exact same boat.
When did psychology begin to change towards modern psychology?
Caveman (1981) Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=caveman%20part%201&search=Search&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&spell=1 This movie is about the dawn of the civilization of man. You will see him discover fire, rock-roll, wepons etc.
How do I get admission in psychology after 12th with science stream?
You can choose http://B.SC for a career in psychology if you have chosen to go through the science stream.Branches in Psychology:Clinical PsychologyCounselling PsychologyOrganizational/Industrial PsychologyDevelopmental/Child PsychologySports PsychologyForensic PsychologyEligibility criteria & Courses:The path to pursue Psychology in India (irrespective of the specialization) is same at the onset. One needs to pass Class XII with any stream (psychology as a subject in Class XI & XII is encouraged).One can pursue BA or http://B.Sc in Psychology. A BA degree will cover humanities subjkects like Sociology, History, Political Science, Economics. A http://B.Sc degree will link Psychology to the science behind it. A master’s programme in Psychology is often required to begin career as a psychologist. Depending upon your objective, you might be required to pursue additional qualifications. A M.Phil is required to practise as a clinical psychologist, and one may pursue a diploma in guidance and counselling to begin their career in developmental, and counselling psychology.Psychology presents a great career option today amidst the changes in our lifestyle due to an increase in the use of gadgets and its impact on us. The future only holds greater opportunities.Job Opportunities:Child PsychologistClinical/Forensic PsychologistBehavioural Psychologist – Family/Marriage Counsellors, Behavioural Health Counsellors, Industrial/Organizational CounsellorsAcademic Psychologists – Research Psychologists, Psychology Professors, Lab ManagersNeurophysicistSports PsychologistMore details about salary are available on the Edvantage Point blog here.
Why is psychology interesting to you?
It's food for my brain. I love understanding humans - behaviours, perspectives, habits, thinking, actions, characters, personalities, etc. It's all extremely interesting to me.I live mostly in my head haha. (hi, fellow introverts!) Just observing other humans doing what they do is enough to entertain me. It's not about being nosy, though. It's more about being intimately/religiously curious.We're living alongside other humans, anyway. Psychology can be used for almost anything. You want to make friends? Apply psychology. You want to remove some friends? Apply psychology.How to thrive in your business? You need customers for that. Understanding their purchasing habits etc is also linked to psychology. Relationships, influence, help, anything can use some psychology.Ultimately it helps you to help yourself. I can't stress this enough. Real change really starts from within. Psychology is a beautiful discovery and practice.Of course, this shouldn't be misused. The power of knowledge we have of other humans shouldn't be abused.I usually read, observe and learn extensively about humans for the benefit of achieving friendships, helping them, and in some cases to defend myself of potential dangers.I can go on and on about psychology, my goodness. But I'll stop here. Just know that I really love psychology. Haha.Thanks for asking, Kazuki! :-)