Is A-Level Psychology a science?

Is A-Level Psychology a science? This is a question that many students and teachers often ask. Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior, and it uses methods that are similar to those used in other sciences. In A-Level Psychology, students learn about experiments, data collection, and analysis, just like in subjects like Biology and Chemistry.

This blog post will explore whether A-Level Psychology fits the definition of a science, looking at its methods, principles, and the way it seeks to understand the human mind.

There is great debate about whether psychology as a subject is seen as a science or not. After all, not all of the psychological approaches meet the scientific criteria. However, A-level psychology is still classed as a STEM subject.

Is psychology a science?

Psychology today is mostly viewed as a science, as it now focuses on systematic research with objective evidence.

If you happen to be taking A-level psychology, you will most likely be learning about the roots of psychology as a subject. There are many different branches of psychology, including the cognitive, behaviorist, and psychodynamic approaches.

These branches differ in how scientific they are. After all, behaviorism is seen as extremely scientific, as it involves observation and objective measurements. In comparison, the psychodynamic approach is not considered scientific, as it is based on subjective opinion.

Psychology has contributed much to our understanding of the modern world. The use of scientific methods and empirical data means that it meets the criteria of a science. It is also afforded growing respect by the scientific world, as shown by the staggering number of academic references. That means we can confidently say that psychology is a science.

This can make people doubt psychology as a science, as some approaches are not based on empirical evidence. This is compared to other sciences, such as biology, chemistry, and physics.

Is A-Level Psychology a science?

A-Level Psychology is seen as a science. This is driven by the fact that a large proportion of A-level psychology is dedicated to research methods which requires students to learn about systematically collecting data, analyzing data, and conducting statistical tests. Students are still taught about theories from long ago, which have no evidence, such as Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic theories.

However, much of the content is based on carefully carried out research. A-Level Psychology also requires students to understand parts of the brain when learning about neuropsychology, emphasizing the scientific nature of A-Level Psychology.

To support psychology as a science, we turn to the idea of empirical evidence. Empirical evidence can be supported and verified by way of observation and experience, as opposed to simply relying on logic or theory.

Through empirical evidence, psychologists can understand human behavior because of observation. Since the mind cannot be directly observed, it is through actions that psychologists can better grasp what may be happening in the mind.

What Makes Psychology A Science?

Psychology is considered a science because psychologists use the scientific method to carry out research, form their hypotheses, and conduct controlled experiments. They also draw conclusions based on collected data so that they can determine correlation and causation between variables.

Here are a few pointers that make psychology a science:

• Reasoning: Psychologists rely on scientific reasoning to interpret and design psychological research and interpret phenomena.
• Discipline: At the core of psychology sits the scientific method. Psychologists conduct studies and contribute to research based on verifiable evidence.
• Research: Like traditional science, psychologists make use of quantitative and qualitative research methods that are necessary for performing analysis and drawing conclusions.
• Application: To practice psychology in a practical setting, students must complete further education beyond a bachelor’s degree. In most instances, a psychologist will need to obtain a PhD. This advanced education will consist of research skills and robust knowledge and application of the scientific method.

Why do some students not view A-Level Psychology as a science?

Many students don’t see A-Level Psychology as a science because they may find it easier than the other scientific A-Levels. However, this may just be because they find A-Level Psychology more interesting.

Indeed, A-Level Psychology doesn’t contain much maths, however, the amount of content you must remember is immense! Therefore, remembering all of this and applying the theories to situations can be difficult.

A-level psychology is also still a relatively new science compared to biology, chemistry, and physics. This can lead to students having doubts about its scientific credibility.

Do Universities Consider A-Level Psychology as a science?

Universities do see A-level psychology as a science. After all, when degrees in psychology are found on university websites, psychology is often listed as a social science.

The term ‘social science’ can carry a stigma, as some people don’t see these as real sciences. However, psychology is a very well-respected and scientific discipline.

Some universities class A-level psychology as a STEM subject. This implies that they do see this A-Level as a science. Therefore, if you see that for a course, you need a certain number of STEM subjects to get in, A-Level Psychology could be included!

How Hard Is A-Level Psychology?

As A-Level Psychology, you may be wondering how hard it is. Well, as with all A-Levels, A-Level Psychology is quite difficult. This is because you are taught so many things that you have to remember. Consequently, A-level psychology requires an immense amount of revision.

You are also assessed by a range of different questions, including essay questions, multiple choice questions, and short answer responses.

FAQs On Is A-Level Psychology a science

References

• simplypsychology.org – Is Psychology a Science?
• phoenix.edu – Why is psychology considered a science?