Is psychology a pseudo-science?

uhhhh.....no.

nothegerg

uhhhh.....no.

wis3boi

go away banjo

I mean, it's not physics, but I have bad news for you, OP . . .

It is the science of the mind. The rest of the things you mention dont apply.

Theres nothing wrong about organizing and labeling the things that can be correctly identified. Classifying people's races as "caucasian," "German," "African-American," or "Aborginal" is not condescending. Neither is classyfing someone who does, in fact, have a disorder.

And no, the criteria for a disorder are pretty specific. Someone who sees visual an auditory hallucinations is a schizophrenic and theres no way to stretch that definition to someone who is healthy.

Being classified or actually having a disorder doesn't mean a person is crazy, or even unhealthy.

When you take into account psychiatric drugs and treatment for said disorders, pretty much.

"Bipolar? We don't know what causes it, but here, take these drugs that were designed to treat schizophrenia and epilepsy and hope for the best."

No, but it's not a hard science either.

[QUOTE="thegerg"]no22Toothpicks

uhhhh.....no.

wis3boi

simple question gets a simple response

It is the science of the mind. The rest of the things you mention dont apply.

Theres nothing wrong about organizing and labeling the things that can be correctly identified. Classifying people's races as "caucasian," "German," "African-American," or "Aborginal" is not condescending. Neither is classyfing someone who does, in fact, have a disorder.

And no, the criteria for a disorder are pretty specific. Someone who sees visual an auditory hallucinations is a schizophrenic and theres no way to stretch that definition to someone who is healthy.

Being classified or actually having a disorder doesn't mean a person is crazy, or even unhealthy.

XaosII

No, but it's not a hard science either.

Niff_T

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

It is the science of the mind. The rest of the things you mention dont apply.

Theres nothing wrong about organizing and labeling the things that can be correctly identified. Classifying people's races as "caucasian," "German," "African-American," or "Aborginal" is not condescending. Neither is classyfing someone who does, in fact, have a disorder.

And no, the criteria for a disorder are pretty specific. Someone who sees visual an auditory hallucinations is a schizophrenic and theres no way to stretch that definition to someone who is healthy.

Being classified or actually having a disorder doesn't mean a person is crazy, or even unhealthy.

silly_pants

[QUOTE="silly_pants"][QUOTE="XaosII"]

It is the science of the mind. The rest of the things you mention dont apply.

Theres nothing wrong about organizing and labeling the things that can be correctly identified. Classifying people's races as "caucasian," "German," "African-American," or "Aborginal" is not condescending. Neither is classyfing someone who does, in fact, have a disorder.

And no, the criteria for a disorder are pretty specific. Someone who sees visual an auditory hallucinations is a schizophrenic and theres no way to stretch that definition to someone who is healthy.

Being classified or actually having a disorder doesn't mean a person is crazy, or even unhealthy.

Ring_of_fire

I don't understand why the distinction between hard sciences and soft sciences even matters.ghoklebutter

It generally only matters to those working in the hard sciences. :P

Study it and find out.BranKetra

[QUOTE="Niff_T"]

No, but it's not a hard science either.

ghoklebutter

Methodologies.

I mean, it's not physics, but I have bad news for you, OP . . .

coolbeans90

[QUOTE="BranKetra"]Study it and find out.silly_pants

Seriously as someone who has taken psychology... And done a decent job, not well mind you but decent enough to pass. I am not really good at academia or born with the intellectual gift but I digress. I mean it is the science of the mind, science of labels and condescension. Every message board I go to or have gone to show it to be one. Everyone throws around diagnosing people they dislike with disorders, in my view psychology is used as a club by those in power, or those who hold certain oratory, or intellectual gifts to denegrate humans deemed inferior. Further proof is how these terms are thrown around in a negative connotation and the criteria for each so called "disorder" are so broad that everyone pretty much can be designated to one.silly_pants

lol

"I don't know how to think, but what do you think about this half baked idea?"

[QUOTE="silly_pants"][QUOTE="BranKetra"]Study it and find out.BranKetra

Well disorders can be applied to almost anyone because most people are pretty messed up. dkdk999

It's a soft science, not psuedo science.

No

It's not a pseudoscience. also the diagnoses aren't used to make value judgments. Just as being diagnosed with cancer shouldn't lead anyone to infer your value as a human being, neither should being diagnosed with something like schizophrenia.

[QUOTE="dkdk999"]Well disorders can be applied to almost anyone because most people are pretty messed up. silly_pants

Sooooo, what's the point of any scientific study of the human mind? Should we all just assume everybody is hunky-dory and not even question when some guy says an invisable talking dog is telling them to burn people? All you are doing is arguing symantics. "Disorder" is just a term used to define a specific type of "difference", it has no inherent value judgement.

I liked the part where he said he's dumb.

i don't think so