Psychology: Science or Pseudoscience?

There are numerous opinions, reflections, and claims about predicting human behavior. You may often hear claims starting with “there is a knowledge in psychology like this...” from many people around you. To what extent are these claims accurate? How should we distinguish between what is true and what is false? Are all the opinions and claims we hear and see genuinely sourced from psychology?

The eight strength of scientific approach (Mark L. Mitchell, 2007):

1. finds general rules

2. collects objective evidence

3. makes testable statements

4. adopts a skeptical, questioning attitude about all claims

5. remains open-minded about new claims

6. is creative

7. is public

8. is productive

Psychology is considered a science precisely because it represents these principles of science. If the source and origin of the claims you hear or see are unclear, or if the institution or resource is not recognized by scientific representatives, this information is not considered reliable. It may be just the subjective opinion of individuals or conclusions based solely on their observations. However, it is not yet scientifically proven, tested, or measured information.

References

Mark L. Mitchell, J. M. (2007). Science, Psychology, and You. In J. M. Mark L. Mitchell, Reserach Design Explained, 7th Edition. Belmont, CA 94002-3098: Wadsworth.