Why do some people call psychology a "false science"?

Answer 1

all in all would be something like this
"when the only thing you have is a hammer,you probably think
everything is a nail !"

Answer 2

When the word science is used, the meaning of that term should be know. And the psychology is definitively not inside its definition.

Regretfully during the second part of 19th century, many people believed that was nice to call what they were doing a science. Since many scientific research and many scientific activities had achieved great result (for instance physics a biology), many people thought that was enough to declare themselves scientific and pretend to be to be authorized to said that they were perfect and scientific. But who really does science never use the fact of being a scientist as a prove that what (s)he says is true.

It is exactly the opposite. The first job of a scientist is to be skeptical even on his/her own conclusions!!

If you see at the history of the Physics, for instance, you may see a lot of point when the Physics has but into discussion itself (for instance both the Quantum Mechanic and the Relativity Theory have gone against the belived theory at that moment)

And one very important point is that a scientist should be scientific honest.

Now I could not ask you to make study in depth about science and philosophy of science, but it would be a good point if you at least know that many time this term is used in a misleading meaning.

How many time have you seen an advertisement about a body cream and with big statement that the cream was scientifically tested? In smaller line it is written how the test was done. At some people, after they used the cream, was asked if the were happy of the product. The number of the people asked is usually very small, and we only know the answer they want us to know, but not-good answer can have been hidden. How can you call this test a scientific test?

Very similar problem does apply to psychology theory.

In science a theory should always be satisfied, even a little deviance or a little exception make the entire theory to be false (the way of saying "the exception enforces the theory" is not true in science, in science what is true is that "even a small exception make the whole theory false")

It is very interesting (and easy, so everybody of you can do that) to read the last chapter of the Feynman's book "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! ". It is the transcription of one of his speech at Caltech university.

Exactly in the same way as doing the same sign that air force people was doing during Second World War to make planes land on small island in the ocean, does not make the planes land, a they just declaring himself scientific, does not make it a science.

And what can be said about Psychology?


Look at what has written its master, Freud: if something came away from your hand and hit a pot a lot of metre away form you it is because you are hungry with your mother-in-law.

What a non sense!!!

Answer 3

Ignorance means that one does not have the facts or the truth and many people are ignorant in these days and times. For something to be scientific then it has to have scientific applications based on theory, practice, measurement, and a way to test it and it must be reliable over time and valid in every instance, psychiatry and psychology can not be this. So that is why it can not be considered true science. It changes it is changeable, the things we test are actually variable and not constant, it can not be proven, nor can it be disproven. People who don't understand something will often dismiss it as fiction. It is not if you understand it or not there are high ethical standards which must apply or be applied to call some thing scientific facts. Why not trust people who know how to siphon out the truth about the false science? To not do this that is what is ignorant. By the way I am not a scientologist I have just studied it from all aspects..

Careful there, ideology is allowed to trump evidence and that is why they are setting up data based evidence to use as the new science. All the issues such as violence, rape, problems in public schools, child rearing, and poverty are being used to scare the bedevil out of lots of people to keep them in their places and get them to get this psychiatric / psychological "treatment". I don't want to give them that edge because most of what they are doing is failing people and causing it to be worse.

Have you seen how statistically the numbers have went up and not down so they could use it for proof that they need more dollars for more programs / people to "treat" people with and how they use it in unconstitutionally "he says" "she says" based courts to coerce and force this kind of treatment on people if they actually need it or want it or not? Once medically labeled the label never goes away and can and does affect the person in different ways for the rest of their lives, unless this is stopped.

Peer review still won't make it science, but it might make it better, and holding those accountable that need to be held accountable. They say they are "helping" others and yet when it comes to terrible things happening under their form of "help" they take no responsibility. They say they don't have to because they can always afford the best defenses, the people that they are doing this to against their will can pay for it with their taxes from their horrible scale wages. They form groups to wipe out any that question their sacred dogma.

Things are getting better slowly, as some of these psychobabbelists are becoming evolutionarily informed, but there is still too much detritus hanging on in this discipline. Like someone said our country is going broke and they can't afford to pay for this forever, so the tides will have to turn eventually, what that will leave without those of us who are here to make sure it doesn't is that no person that really needs any kind of assistance will really get it because the money will have already been wasted up, nothing will have actually changed or gotten better, people will be hooked on mind altering brain damaging drugs, and people will be tired of paying in to support this.

So if we are going to stop it then we have to find the alternatives and not just think about ourselves and how good we might be doing. We may be doing fine, but others might not be and so if we are going to stop it we must see that the real damage to people is minimalized and everyone gets out safe and happy and whole and that leads to America being a country with good mental health overall. Viola, propaganda stopped and people doing better things and having what they really need in life.

Answer 4

Capslock over there is basically right ... it's because you can't apply a pure scientific method to the psyche. You have to rely on the subject's introspection and narrative to get information about the psyche, and the standards of empirical science are not met. If you try to do purely empirical psychology you get behaviorism, which is unworkable and doesn't answer our questions either. So to call it a "false science" is kind of unfair. Good psychology applies the scientific method as far as it is useful for answering questions, and not farther.

Answer 5

It is a social science, rather than a biological one. However, measures and statistics are used in psychology, and it is in fact a science. Most practicing psychologists are PhD's - this is not a false science.

Some people may make that claim, as psychology was started from what was learned in philosophy before that.

Some people may make that claim, as psychologists are not MDs, as are psychiatrists.

Answer 6

Basically, because ideology is allowed to trump evidence. All the " hot button " issues, such as violence, rape, intelligence and child rearing are given the ideological, feel good approach. Not so much peer review in this social science, but more of closing ranks against any who question sacred dogma. Things are better now, as some of these psychobabbelists are becoming evolutionarily informed, but there is still too much detritus hanging on in this discipline.

Answer 7

Bigoted is greater oftentimes coined via liberals bud, no longer conservatives. Does her being a Latina supply her greater effective perception into concerns relating Latrina's precise, is this what you're asking ? in line with danger, yet this is no longer the subject, the subject is that would not have a element to do with analyzing regulation or judicial evaluation, till she became into ruling consistent with emotions( that's incorrect) as adversarial to analyzing the regulation as that's written. What we've here with you, is a of course biased racist Hispanic sticking up for yet another of course racist Hispanic, and you will carry that place regardless of the actuality presented to guard what you notice as your individual blood being unjustly scrutinized becuase of her race. enable me ask you something, the place is your allegiance (because of the fact i believe this to be a concern with many minorities) consisting of your united states ? Or your cultural beginning ?

Answer 8

Psychology is based on theories that do not take into account all the cultures of the world.

Answer 9

Because Scientologist were led to believe that by L. Ron Hubbard because psychology experts called some electronic device of his a sham.

Answer 10

Because quite offten if you go to lets say 10 diffrent phycologists you will get atleast 4 difrent diagnoses. it is a feild that takes ALOT of guess work and many people belive science should be fool proof.

Answer 11

There was a period of time during which psychology was discredited, mostly because people didn't know enough about it or they were afraid of it. "Shrinks" are sort of looked down on as quacks, because most people don't realize what they actually do.