What techniques from the Physical Sciences can help Advance Understanding in Social Science?

Question

There is often a level of conflict between practitioners of the social sciences, and the natural sciences such as Physics, Biology and Chemistry (and Maths, though maths more properly qualifies as a language and an art).

To me, it seems that some great benefits may come from applying techniques and ideas from the physical sciences into the social sciences.

Some examples of where this is already proving to be true include statistical error analysis when conducting polls and surveys, control groups in psychological experiments which identify what factors contribute to outcomes.

so...

What techniques from the Physical Sciences can help Advance Understanding in Social Sciences?

Answer 1

The competition that is endemic in the sciences could be useful. Most social scientists know the scientific method, they just do not always follow nature. Proximate human behavior is a tough one, though and that is why I continually stress that one must be evolutionarily informed, with a willingness not to obscure the findings with ideology.
Observation
hypothesis
prediction
experiment
The hypothtico-deductive method.

It is witch-hunting, " object ", not witchunting.
Perhaps it need be, beware the cult of bad spelling!!!

Answer 2

All life revolves around the collection and disbursement of energy.

Social science may be considered a subset of Physical Science.

Humans may be regarded as decision making machines.

Answer 3

I know this isn't answering your question, but couldn't resist giving another example of the conflict between the physical sciences and the social sciences. My son, who is "into" what he calls the "real" or "hard" sciences, teases me about my degree in Anthropology because I "concentrated" on Cultural Anthropology--which he calls "soft" science. He would tease me about my "worthless" degree. Now, as a senior in college, getting ready to graduate. . . I tell him to eat his words because, behold: he is majoring in Anthropology. He quickly points out that his "concentration" is in Biological Anthropology with a double major in Zoology and Biology. (Actually, that makes a triple major: show-off.) And the snobbery and lack of respect continues. . . but, seriously **smile**, he can't understand how I "managed" to graduate with a degree without having to take BioChem and Physics. I point out that I "managed" to graduate because I had CHOICES. I chose to take "hard" science courses from the departments of Atmospheric Sciences, Botany, and Geology. He laughs.

Answer 4

I fear the sorcery brought by the misuse of the word "correlation"