How useful is psychology?

How does science work? And what's all this about quantum mechanics?

Moderators: AMod, iMod

Post Reply
Philosophy Explorer
Posts: 5621
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:39 am

How useful is psychology?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

I've always felt that part of being a science is for the particular field to be useful. So how useful would you say psychology is?

PhilX
Dubious
Posts: 4000
Joined: Tue May 19, 2015 7:40 am

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by Dubious »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:I've always felt that part of being a science is for the particular field to be useful. So how useful would you say psychology is?

PhilX
...as useful as economics wherein no two professors can agree.
Philosophy Explorer
Posts: 5621
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:39 am

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

Dubious wrote:
Philosophy Explorer wrote:I've always felt that part of being a science is for the particular field to be useful. So how useful would you say psychology is?

PhilX
...as useful as economics wherein no two professors can agree.
With economics, Nobel Prizes are given whereas none are offered for psychology. Perhaps you'd like to rethink your answer.

PhilX
Dubious
Posts: 4000
Joined: Tue May 19, 2015 7:40 am

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by Dubious »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:
Dubious wrote:
Philosophy Explorer wrote:I've always felt that part of being a science is for the particular field to be useful. So how useful would you say psychology is?

PhilX
...as useful as economics wherein no two professors can agree.
With economics, Nobel Prizes are given whereas none are offered for psychology. Perhaps you'd like to rethink your answer.

PhilX
Don't understand the logic of your reply. Why would that make a difference? Just because a Nobel is offered in economics but not in psychology does not give economics more credence than psychology as far as ambiguity or ambivalence are concerned.
Philosophy Explorer
Posts: 5621
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:39 am

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

Dubious wrote:
Philosophy Explorer wrote:
Dubious wrote:
...as useful as economics wherein no two professors can agree.
With economics, Nobel Prizes are given whereas none are offered for psychology. Perhaps you'd like to rethink your answer.

PhilX
Don't understand the logic of your reply. Why would that make a difference? Just because a Nobel is offered in economics but not in psychology does not give economics more credence than psychology as far as ambiguity or ambivalence are concerned.
Nobel Prizes are given to those who have come up with something which is of the greatest benefit to mankind. There is none established for psychology, but there is one for economics since 1969. Being that money is part of the prize gives it a value to encourage scientists and others to add on to the knowledge that would benefit mankind. This is simple logic that any child can understand. To equate economics with psychology would be a farce on this basis.

Would you now care to reevaluate your position? Can you find any evidence to support your contention that psychology is a science?

PhilX
Reflex
Posts: 951
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:09 pm

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by Reflex »

You should stuff your own opinion where the light doesn't shine and ask only those who have been helped by it. (Psychology is more of an art than a science.)
Philosophy Explorer
Posts: 5621
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:39 am

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

Reflex wrote:You should stuff your own opinion where the light doesn't shine and ask only those who have been helped by it. (Psychology is more of an art than a science.)
I would shove it where the sun doesn't shine for you as it's not an opinion (apparently you have no rebuttal :lol:).

Asking lay people about psychology would even be worse than asking psychologists. And how would the ones who are "helped" by it know that they were actually helped?

BTW If you're implying you were under the care of a psychiatrist to get socially acceptable, I'd demand my money back as that shrink did you a disservice.

PhilX
Reflex
Posts: 951
Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:09 pm

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by Reflex »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:
Reflex wrote:You should stuff your own opinion where the light doesn't shine and ask only those who have been helped by it. (Psychology is more of an art than a science.)
I would shove it where the sun doesn't shine for you as it's not an opinion (apparently you have no rebuttal :lol:).

Asking lay people about psychology would even be worse than asking psychologists. And how would the ones who are "helped" by it know that they were actually helped?

BTW If you're implying you were under the care of a psychiatrist to get socially acceptable, I'd demand my money back as that shrink did you a disservice.

PhilX
There are other reasons. :P
Philosophy Explorer
Posts: 5621
Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:39 am

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by Philosophy Explorer »

Reflex wrote:
Philosophy Explorer wrote:
Reflex wrote:You should stuff your own opinion where the light doesn't shine and ask only those who have been helped by it. (Psychology is more of an art than a science.)
I would shove it where the sun doesn't shine for you as it's not an opinion (apparently you have no rebuttal :lol:).

Asking lay people about psychology would even be worse than asking psychologists. And how would the ones who are "helped" by it know that they were actually helped?

BTW If you're implying you were under the care of a psychiatrist to get socially acceptable, I'd demand my money back as that shrink did you a disservice.

PhilX
There are other reasons. :P
Would you care to elaborate or do you plan on keeping us in suspense?

PhilX
thedoc
Posts: 6473
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 4:18 pm

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by thedoc »

Philosophy Explorer wrote:
Reflex wrote:
Philosophy Explorer wrote:
I would shove it where the sun doesn't shine for you as it's not an opinion (apparently you have no rebuttal :lol:).

Asking lay people about psychology would even be worse than asking psychologists. And how would the ones who are "helped" by it know that they were actually helped?

BTW If you're implying you were under the care of a psychiatrist to get socially acceptable, I'd demand my money back as that shrink did you a disservice.

PhilX
There are other reasons. :P
Would you care to elaborate or do you plan on keeping us in suspense?

PhilX
Speak for yourself, I don't really care about his personal problems.
duszek
Posts: 2356
Joined: Wed Jun 03, 2009 5:27 pm
Location: Thin Air

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by duszek »

Let´s try to be positive:

Knowing oneself better is something and knowing and understanding others is more than something.

Many great novelists were good psychologists at the same time and they exposed the motivations of people and thus tried to promote general understanding of human nature.

There are many coping mechanisms one can try in order to be more efficient in life.
There are some for procrestinators etc.
These mechanisms are classified by psychologists.
They are also discoverable by poeple using common sense but it takes longer if you start from scratch.

I have never used the services of a professional psychologist yet, but one of my best friends used to talk to me in such a thourough way that we called it "psychotherapy".
User avatar
HexHammer
Posts: 3354
Joined: Sat May 14, 2011 8:19 pm
Location: Denmark

Re: How useful is psychology?

Post by HexHammer »

Reflex wrote:You should stuff your own opinion where the light doesn't shine and ask only those who have been helped by it. (Psychology is more of an art than a science.)
You don't know what you are talking about, it "can" be a science indeed. It's greatly used by spind doctors, marketing, PR, shrinks ..etc.
Post Reply