The Science of Psychology

Why are some people shy while others are outgoing? What sometimes causes opposites to be attracted to each other and fall in love? Why can we remember a first date which happened long ago while forgetting information necessary for a test which we studied only hours ago? Psychology studies all these and countless other scenarios and subjects alike.

Behaviour and Mind

The definition of psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and of the mind. The term behaviour refers to directly observable actions and responses, while the term mind refers to internal states and processes, such as thoughts and feelings, which cannot be seen directly and need to be inferred from observable, measurable responses.

The complexity of behaviour poses special challenges for scientific studies. As we become familiar with the kind of evidence needed to validate scientific conclusions, we become better informed about the many claims made in the name of psychology. For one thing, this teaches us that many widely-held beliefs are inaccurate, but the most important thing we learn is the habit of critical thinking.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking involves taking an active role in understanding the world around us, rather than merely receiving information. It's important to reflect upon the meaning of the information, how it fits with our experiences, and its implication on our lives and society. Critical thinking also means evaluating something present to us as fact. For example, when someone tells you a new fact, ask yourself the following questions:

Exactly what do you want me to believe?
How do you know this, and what evidence have you got?
Could there be other possible explanations?
What is the most reasonable conclusion?

This helps us understand to be cautious in accepting psychological claims, making us less likely to form simplistic judgement on the behaviours and thoughts of other people. Thus, critical thinking would help serve us in many areas of our lives.

Psychology as an Applied Science

Science involves two types of research: basic research, which requires the quest for knowledge purely for its own sake; and applied science, which is designed to solve specific problems. For psychologists, the most basic of research is centred around the reasons behind people's behaviour, thoughts, and feelings. Basic research can be carried out in laboratories or outdoors, with participants being either human or from other species.

Psychologists studying other species usually do so in an attempt to discover principles which ultimately would shed light on human behaviour, but some study animal behaviour for its own sake. In the field of applied research, psychologists often use basic scientific knowledge in order to design, implement, and assess intervention programmes.

Robbers Cave Study

How do hostility and prejudice develop between groups, and what can be done to reduce it? In the multicultural world we live in today, where clashes erupt between various religious and ethnic groups, there is great importance in this question.

In order to provide an answer, psychologists have conducted research on factors which increase and reduce inter-group hostility. In one experiment, 11-year-old boys were divided into two groups upon arrival at a summer camp in Robbers Cave, Oklahoma. The groups were named the Eagles and the Rattlers and were put in separate cabins, but took part in all the other activities together. Initially, both teams got along well.

In order to test the hypothesis that competition could breed inter-group hostility, the researchers began to pit the two teams against each other in athletic and other contests. As predicted, hostility soon grew between the two groups. Next, the researchers examined if the conflict could be reduced between the teams by having them share enjoyable activities such as watching movies together, but surprisingly, it caused more taunting and fighting among them.

The researchers then created several small emergencies to test a final hypothesis, placing the hostile groups in situations that required cooperation between one another in order to attain common goals, hoping it would reduce their hostility towards each other. In one emergency, the truck transporting food for the hungry boys supposedly stalled, forcing the two groups to pool their strength and tow it with a rope to get it started. This, as well as other cooperative experiences, gradually reduced the hostility among the boys, causing the development of many new friendships.

Since then, the Robbers Cave Study has become a classic, which is an older but widely-known influential study. It represents basic research as its goal was to discover the general principles of inter-group conflicts and not to solve an existing problem. The prejudice between the two groups did not exist from the outset; rather, it was created by the researchers, which showed that hostility could be bred by competition and reduced by making them dependent on each other to reach a common goal.