Psychology As A Science And The Humanistic Philosophy Of Carl Rogers In Psychology - Essay Example

? Psychology as a science and the humanistic philosophy of Carl Rogers in Psychology Many people think that psychology is not a science. They believe that the ways and techniques that are used to study Psychology are not valid ways of studying and treating mental disorders. They also think that self-esteem, motivation, and creativity are too subjective to be studied scientifically. If one searches the internet for articles relating to psychology, the articles presented seemed to be simplified in a manner that is not complex enough to be categorizes as a science such as Biology. It also did not help that there were few studies that were conducted designed to cast doubt on psychology and its allied sciences. This was the study of Thomas Szasz with his The Myth of Mental Illness and David Rosenhann’s experiment entitled On being sane in insane places which underpinned the vulnerability of Psychology and its allied sciences as a field of science. Thomas Szasz even questioned Psychology that reduced it to pseudo-science (1960). In David Rosenhann’s experiment entitled On being sane in insane places the findings might be very interesting but its implication hurt Psychology as a science. In effect, his study demonstrated that psychologists and psychiatrists can be duped and that their diagnoses are inaccurate. The experiment involved 12 normal people who were instructed to demonstrate similar symptoms at 12 different mental hospitals and all of them were incorrectly diagnosed (1973). Regardless of the slur hurled against Psychology, it is still a scientific discipline that follows the protocol of scientific approach. As stated by Cacioppo & Freberg, scientific disciplines are broken down into two categories: the Social Sciences and the Physical Sciences (2013, p. 8) and in these categories, Psychology belonged to the social sciences. In the library, Psychology books could be found under Social Sciences section, near the Philosophy section recognizing the field as a science. “Psychology is considered a social science because psychological principles affect social life - people and institutions alike. Oftentimes, the purpose of any psychological research is to make the world a better place to live in, that is, socially” (Weebly, n.d.). The Scientific Method is what all scientists use to arrive at scientific truths and even this approach validates that psychology is a science. Psychology uses the Scientific Method to study behaviors and mental processes. The steps for using the Scientific Method in Psychological research are: conceptualizing the problem, collecting data, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions which are in accordance to the scientific method. Psychology stands firmly on solid, scientific ground just as all the other Social and Physical Sciences. Cacioppo & Freberg refers to Psychology as a Hub Science and it will most likely gain more respect over the next ten years when its therapeutic as well as its scientific aspect will benefit more people. Psychology as a scientific discipline also has a therapeutic component and this involves the treatment of mental illness. Mental illness largely involves the psyche and in this aspect Psychology becomes more relevant because it addresses the psychological issue of its patients. We may not yet fully understand the causes of mental illness but it is now largely accepted that mental illness are caused by a number of genetic and environmental influences. Contrary to the beliefs of early scholars, modern-day psychologists believe genetics (nature) and environmental influences (nurture) to be closely intertwined, rather than being opposed to one another making Psychology more relevant in treating mental disease. According to Burridge “there have been countless studies on this debate and all seem to conclude that mental health is a combination of genetic predisposition, early life experiences and stress triggers”. It may be argued that mental illness are also pathological that involves anomalous cells and certain genetic disposition towards mental illness but it cannot be disputed that a large aspect of mental illness involves Psychology and its treatment therefore requires the same. Psychology is an evolving science where its practitioners are always on the search on better ways to treat their patients. Therapist have varying approaches which may differ or differentiate from each other with similar or varying degree of efficacy. Others prefer one method over the other depending on the approaches as espoused by their chosen psychotherapy approach. One of the effective psychotherapy used to today is the "humanist and client centered approach" as put forth by Carl Ransom Rogers (1902-1987). Carl Ransom Rogers is one of most influential psychotherapists in modern Psychology. In fact, he was the “most influential psychotherapist in American history (Kirschenbaum & Henderson, 1989).” He was a humanistic thinker and believed that people are fundamentally good. “He conducted more scientific research on counseling and psychotherapy than had ever been undertaken anywhere (1989).” He was responsible for spreading professional counseling and psychotherapy to psychology, social work, education, ministry, lay therapy, and others. He developed and led the intensive therapeutic group experience sometimes called the encounter group. “He was a leader in the humanistic psychology movement of the 1960’s through the 1980’s which continues to exert a profound influence on society and the professions (1989).” Rogers had a long career as an educator and he came into contact with thousands of students who continued to spread his ideas and methods. Among many awards and recognitions, he received the American Psychology Association’s Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award the first year it was given and he was the only person to receive both that award and the association’s Distinguished Professional Contribution Award. Needless to say, Roger's humanist, client-centered approach; also known as the person-centered or nondirective approach had been proven to be effective and acceptable both clinically and empirically as attested by the recognition bestowed on him by the authorities in the field of Psychology. Carl Rogers is most successfully known for pioneering the client-centered approach; also known as the person-centered or nondirective approach. Carl Rogers Person-Centered Therapy is a form of talk therapy developed in the mid 1900’s and is hinged on the premise that each of us has the power to heal ourselves (Noel). In this type of therapy, therapists use a non-directive approach to create a comfortable environment by demonstrating congruence, empathy, and unconditional positive regard toward their clients. I used the method myself with a coworker who is involved in a very unhealthy relationship. Through this method, she was able to realize things for herself and come to her own conclusions in order to make the necessary changes. I did not provide any solution which could ran the danger of being erroneous but rather was just there to listen, ask questions, and make her feel at ease until finally she figured the solution to her problem by herself. I believe that when the proposed solution came from the people, they are more likely to be applied in their lives whose outcome will be more likely to be positive as espoused by the humanist and client centered approach of Carl Rogers. References Cacioppo, J. T., & Freberg, L. A. (2012). Psyc 495 integrative psychology: Columbia College Edition. Mason: Cengage Learning. Cacioppo, J. & Freberg, L. (2013). Discovering psychology: The science of mind. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Noel, S. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.goodtherapy.org/Person_Centered.html Rosenhan DL (January 1973). "On being sane in insane places". Science 179 (4070): 250–8. Thomas S. Szasz (1960). The Myth of Mental Illness. Retrieved from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Szasz/myth.htm Weebly, . (n.d.). What Makes Psychology a Science?. Retrieved Jul 6, 2013 from http://general-psychology.weebly.com/what-makes-psychology-a-science.html Read More