Why isn't psychology considered a "real" science?

Answer 1

Because their observations are real. Psychologists do not tell lies.

"Real" science is a set of lies.

Answer 2

Because the data collected is interpreted in some way by humans, which, causes some unavoidable margin of error.

Consider this example:

Biology: What makes a tree grow? Water, sunlight, soil.
Physics: How fast do things fall? Gravity, mass, math...voila.
Psychology: What makes you sad? Um....well....it depends.

See?

Not that there's anything wrong with that. The ability to learn, interpret, and teach about ourselves and our environments is what makes us such advanced animals. I have a degree in psychology, and I will fight to the death if anyone disrespects it as a science. The study and documentation of psychological things (mood, learning, development, intelligence, illness) is extremely important to the advancement of our culture.

Answer 3

They are only glorified counselors.

My dad was an M.D. for many years and then decided to study psychiatry. His is a science, because he works with not just the mental side of mental illness, but also the physical side, as well. Therefore, he can make a more accurate diagnosis and can provide both treatment AND therapy.

Psychiatrists can prescribe medication while psychologists cannot.

There are some good psychologists out there, but you have to understand when you go, that at best, they can only counsel you.

Answer 4

The short answer is because it's not! Psychologists diagnose people with "mental illnesses" based on criteria in their widely discredited Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). The DSM's criteria are vague and poorly defined and there is NO objective medical test for ANY of the 374 so-called "diseases" named in the DSM.

The lack of science behind the DSM gives a clear idea of why it has earned such critics as the following:

Herb Kutchins of California State University, Sacramento, and Stuart A. Kirk of the University of California, Los Angeles, authors of Making Us Crazy: The Psychiatric Bible and the Creation of Mental Disorders:

“The developers of DSM assume that if a group of psychiatrists agree on a list of atypical [new] behaviors, the behaviors constitute a valid mental disorder. Using this approach, creating mental disorders can become a parlor game in which clusters of all kinds of behaviors (i.e. syndromes) can be added to the manual.”

Answer 5

Because most "Hard or Real" sciences require that you measure and predict variables. In otherwords, in science we need to know that X causes Y . In psychology, it is difficult to measure or to even know such things as motives or what caused person Y to behave like a madman when his brother is normal. The problem is in causation and measurability.

Answer 6

I think because the brain is such a tricky organ to deal with and figure out and it is difficult to say that everyone's works in the exact same way when faced with certain situations - so they sort of have to make sweeping generalizations in order to get anywhere.

Answer 7

because it's not based on factual evidence, only interpretations, hypothesis and theory. science needs to be measurable, comparable and testable by ones self and others.

Answer 8

you cant prove it with math