Discuss why psychology can be described both as a science and as a nonscience. Include in your answer the characteristics of science that some psychologists are unwilling to accept while studying humans.
Psychology can be regarded as a science because science uses the empirical approach, which is because knowledge comes from our senses. Darwin’s theory of evolution is the best example, which clearly describes psychology as a science.
It is based on the knowledge that we gained from our experience and this approach is greatly influenced from physics and chemistry.
Most of them are considered as the non-science because they are alternatives towards the empiricism like rational argument, research and belief. The humanistic approach is also an alternative, which argued for the objective reality and considers subjective perception and subjective understanding more important.
Humanism is the psychological perspective, which emphasizes on the study of a whole person. Therefore, by understanding these theories it is clear that the psychology can act as a science and non-science.
Some of the psychologists are unwilling to accept the characteristics of science because they believed it as dehumanizing as well as unable to gain the richness in consciousness and experience.
The humanistic approach played an important role in stepping away the scientific approach by rejecting determinism in favor of freewill.