What is Psychology? — Psychology STD 11 Humanities — Question
CBSE BoardEnglish MediumSTD 11 HumanitiesPsychologyWhat is Psychology?3 Marks
Question
Is psychology a natural or social science?
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Answer
Psychology is both a natural and social science:
Modern psychology has developed because of the application of scientific methods to study psychological phenomenon. Based on a theory, scientists propose a hypothesis. The hypothesis is then tested and proved true or false and revised based on data that one generated. Till date, most of the research in psychology follows this approach. Apart from this, psychologists have also been considerably influenced by the evolutionary approach which is dominant in biological sciences. This approach has also been used to explain diverse kinds of psychological phenomenon such as attachment and aggression to mention just a few. Thus, psychology is a natural science.
However, psychology is recognised more as a social science because it studies the behaviour of human beings in their socio-cultural contexts. Humans are not only influenced by their socio-cultural contexts, they also create them. Psychology as a social science discipline focuses on humans as social beings. It shows how different people experience and behave in similar situations differently. Thus, psychology is a social science with focus on the individuals and communities in relation to their socio-cultural and physical environment.
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