Why do clinical psychologists reject science?

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Science is a philosophy based on the scientific principle of repeatability, testability, reliability, predictability and consistency. The scientific principle is brilliant for understanding the principles of nature, because physical elements always react in the same way (with quantum physics being a borderline case).

By adhering to the scientific principle, the scientist selects the principle of repeatability and hence reliability. If you do the same chemistry test 10 times and you don't get the same result 10 times, you toss the theory. But do the same psychological test 10 times with 10 different people and you'll get 10 different results.

In psychology, every individual's personality is different (whether you measure it by MBTI or big five is irrelevant), meaning that every individual response to a test will be different. Science can't handle that. In physics, all electrons in the known universe behave in exactly the same way. In psychology, all people are different. This known, basic premise of psychology violates the preconditions of the scientific principle.

The only way to get homogeneity in psychology is to lump people in groups by using statistical generalizations. Sure, the statistical numbers are reliable (within a margin). But statistics aren't people - clinical psychology deals with individual people. Clinical psychology will never be a science because the individuality of man defies the preconditions of the scientific principle (repeatable, consistent).

Note: It is not my intention to imply that psychology is inferior - and I apologize if it came across as such. It just doesn't fit within the limitations imposed by the scientific principle.


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: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ )
: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ )
) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ )
: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ )
: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็
better question is: why is psy such a faggot


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It's too complicated to become a science.

We're not yet at the point where we can understand everything about humans, and thus it can't yet be a science, but like everything else it is in fact a science that can be written down.


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It's too complicated to become a science.

We're not yet at the point where we can understand everything about humans, and thus it can't yet be a science, but like everything else it is in fact a science that can be written down.

I await with great excitement the day we finally, if you will, crack the mysteries of the human brain. Or complex brains in general.


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It's too complicated to become a science.

We're not yet at the point where we can understand everything about humans, and thus it can't yet be a science, but like everything else it is in fact a science that can be written down.
wat


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: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ )
: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ )
) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ )
: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ )
: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็: ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็็ ) : ส็็็็็็็็็็็็็็
It's too complicated to become a science.

We're not yet at the point where we can understand everything about humans, and thus it can't yet be a science, but like everything else it is in fact a science that can be written down.


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It's too complicated to become a science.

We're not yet at the point where we can understand everything about humans, and thus it can't yet be a science, but like everything else it is in fact a science that can be written down.

I neglected to mention what you said is absolutely nonsensical.


 
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I'm not sure I entirely understand what you're talking.

There is no limit or partition to "science". A plumber who decides to test his hypothesis of why your sink is bust is using the scientific method as far as it matters. Psychologists do this in the same way - it can be difficult to account for variation in behaviour, but it's quite easy to determine where the fringe lies.

It's not that psychology somehow reject science, it's merely that the instruments we use aren't as fine-tuned as those we use for physics.


 
 
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<.<
I'll just focus on the mental health aspect because broader psychology is a far less clear science.

So the science behind Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a demonstrable biological problem, brought about by variable factors. It could be genetics, life events, trauma or anything but even those 'psychological' events and factors hold a significant biological role through things like Neurotransmitters.

The symptoms do vary, but to expect a patient to display 100% of the symptoms 100% of the time is as flawed as expecting someone with a common cold to always have a sore throat. Some do, some don't, it depends on the situation.

Look at it like a broken leg, you can break it by jumping off a building or being run over. It's still a broken leg and the way in which you fix it might vary somewhat depending on the fracture but you still set the bone and sort it out. Similar approach with Depression, figure out the best way to treat it and go with that. Usually talking therapies combined with anti-depressants has the best chance of successful treatment.

It isn't an exact science, because it's in it's infancy. And because it deals with incredibly complex living things in a less than tangible form >_>
You aren't able to *see* the broken bone in their mind, you have to work out where it is and how to fix it through talking to the patient <.<

Side point
Quote
In psychology, every individual's personality is different (whether you measure it by MBTI or big five is irrelevant), meaning that every individual response to a test will be different. Science can't handle that. In physics, all electrons in the known universe behave in exactly the same way. In psychology, all people are different. This known, basic premise of psychology violates the preconditions of the scientific principle.
Actually human behaviour tends to follow a lot of patterns, it might seem like people are individuals but when you get a large enough sample you will have those who do the exact same thing and have similar personalities etc.

More broadly, medical psychology is in it's relative infancy. I'd say it's something like early teens.
If you remember how hamfisted and god-awful physical medicine used to be, and how precise/3spoopy5me it can be now, that's the rough parallel I'd draw.

As we get better at profiling people, mapping brains and understanding what makes people tick - I expect to see some pretty drastic improvements in the scientific precision of mental healthcare <.<
Final loose point, when dealing with meatbags things will never be straightforwards. Which is why the rainmen go to the physics labs and the lunatics go to the psych labs >_>


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It's too complicated to become a science.

We're not yet at the point where we can understand everything about humans, and thus it can't yet be a science, but like everything else it is in fact a science that can be written down.

I neglected to mention what you said is absolutely nonsensical.
What do you mean?


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I'll just focus on the mental health aspect because broader psychology is a far less clear science.

So the science behind Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a demonstrable biological problem, brought about by variable factors. It could be genetics, life events, trauma or anything but even those 'psychological' events and factors hold a significant biological role through things like Neurotransmitters.

The symptoms do vary, but to expect a patient to display 100% of the symptoms 100% of the time is as flawed as expecting someone with a common cold to always have a sore throat. Some do, some don't, it depends on the situation.

Look at it like a broken leg, you can break it by jumping off a building or being run over. It's still a broken leg and the way in which you fix it might vary somewhat depending on the fracture but you still set the bone and sort it out. Similar approach with Depression, figure out the best way to treat it and go with that. Usually talking therapies combined with anti-depressants has the best chance of successful treatment.

It isn't an exact science, because it's in it's infancy. And because it deals with incredibly complex living things in a less than tangible form >_>
You aren't able to *see* the broken bone in their mind, you have to work out where it is and how to fix it through talking to the patient <.<

Side point
Quote
In psychology, every individual's personality is different (whether you measure it by MBTI or big five is irrelevant), meaning that every individual response to a test will be different. Science can't handle that. In physics, all electrons in the known universe behave in exactly the same way. In psychology, all people are different. This known, basic premise of psychology violates the preconditions of the scientific principle.
Actually human behaviour tends to follow a lot of patterns, it might seem like people are individuals but when you get a large enough sample you will have those who do the exact same thing and have similar personalities etc.

More broadly, medical psychology is in it's relative infancy. I'd say it's something like early teens.
If you remember how hamfisted and god-awful physical medicine used to be, and how precise/3spoopy5me it can be now, that's the rough parallel I'd draw.

As we get better at profiling people, mapping brains and understanding what makes people tick - I expect to see some pretty drastic improvements in the scientific precision of mental healthcare <.<
Final loose point, when dealing with meatbags things will never be straightforwards. Which is why the rainmen go to the physics labs and the lunatics go to the psych labs >_>

I'm not sure I entirely understand what you're talking.

There is no limit or partition to "science". A plumber who decides to test his hypothesis of why your sink is bust is using the scientific method as far as it matters. Psychologists do this in the same way - it can be difficult to account for variation in behaviour, but it's quite easy to determine where the fringe lies.

It's not that psychology somehow reject science, it's merely that the instruments we use aren't as fine-tuned as those we use for physics.

I think it makes a lot more sense now, thanks.


 
 
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<.<
I'll just focus on the mental health aspect because broader psychology is a far less clear science.

So the science behind Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a demonstrable biological problem, brought about by variable factors. It could be genetics, life events, trauma or anything but even those 'psychological' events and factors hold a significant biological role through things like Neurotransmitters.

The symptoms do vary, but to expect a patient to display 100% of the symptoms 100% of the time is as flawed as expecting someone with a common cold to always have a sore throat. Some do, some don't, it depends on the situation.

Look at it like a broken leg, you can break it by jumping off a building or being run over. It's still a broken leg and the way in which you fix it might vary somewhat depending on the fracture but you still set the bone and sort it out. Similar approach with Depression, figure out the best way to treat it and go with that. Usually talking therapies combined with anti-depressants has the best chance of successful treatment.

It isn't an exact science, because it's in it's infancy. And because it deals with incredibly complex living things in a less than tangible form >_>
You aren't able to *see* the broken bone in their mind, you have to work out where it is and how to fix it through talking to the patient <.<

Side point
Quote
In psychology, every individual's personality is different (whether you measure it by MBTI or big five is irrelevant), meaning that every individual response to a test will be different. Science can't handle that. In physics, all electrons in the known universe behave in exactly the same way. In psychology, all people are different. This known, basic premise of psychology violates the preconditions of the scientific principle.
Actually human behaviour tends to follow a lot of patterns, it might seem like people are individuals but when you get a large enough sample you will have those who do the exact same thing and have similar personalities etc.

More broadly, medical psychology is in it's relative infancy. I'd say it's something like early teens.
If you remember how hamfisted and god-awful physical medicine used to be, and how precise/3spoopy5me it can be now, that's the rough parallel I'd draw.

As we get better at profiling people, mapping brains and understanding what makes people tick - I expect to see some pretty drastic improvements in the scientific precision of mental healthcare <.<
Final loose point, when dealing with meatbags things will never be straightforwards. Which is why the rainmen go to the physics labs and the lunatics go to the psych labs >_>

I'm not sure I entirely understand what you're talking.

There is no limit or partition to "science". A plumber who decides to test his hypothesis of why your sink is bust is using the scientific method as far as it matters. Psychologists do this in the same way - it can be difficult to account for variation in behaviour, but it's quite easy to determine where the fringe lies.

It's not that psychology somehow reject science, it's merely that the instruments we use aren't as fine-tuned as those we use for physics.

I think it makes a lot more sense now, thanks.

Glad to be of help, if you ever have any other questions about psychology related shit then feel free to ask >.>


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Yeah, but what I'm trying to say without putting any effort into saying is that... wait, I haven't even mentioned it.

Oh well.

What I was thinking of when I wrote my thing was that neurons can be looked at individually, and read with the proper tools, I'm sure, so if you look at literally every factor, then you should be able to predict the person's behaviour; actions et cetera.

At first it's all about statistics, but as we get into it the whole thing turns into an exact reason for certain beahviours and actions.

First it will be:
Quote
20% that the person will cry
40% that the person will drink beer and ignore it for as long as possible (as shown by early childhood bla blab bla)
5% that the person will laugh
10% that the person will be happy
but then when we level up our science of the human mind, and the human it'll look more like:
60% that the person will cry because neurons in the Amygdala show that the person is receptive to emotional bla bla abla

At one point I'm sure that we'll reach 80%, and even beyond that. We will reach 100%, and then we'll have to guess about other things, such as:
The person knows that this is a test, so he will behave
5%
....

TL;DR: We will reach a point where we can predict anything we want from the human mind, but there exist too many cells that all have to be looked at individually.

Edit: It's just not worth it to be this precise when broader things can be applied, but I'm saying that it should be 100% possible, and it resembles science the most imo.
Last Edit: December 27, 2014, 05:01:27 PM by Royal Light