Is Psychology a Science?

Is Psychology a science? In order to answer this question it is important to understand the definitions of both psychology and science. The word 'psychology' comes from the Greek 'psyche' (or soul) and 'logos' (or study), which came to be known as the 'study of the soul'. The American Heritage Dictionary defines psychology as: 1. the science dealing with the mind and with mental and emotional processes 2. the science of human and animal behavior. In its …

…and intense dispute. This can be seen as a function of the phenomena that is psychology. But the key to resolving these disputes is to turn back to the empirical methods and pit alternative interpretations against each other. References: The American Heritage Dictionary, 1996 Western, Psychology - Mind, Brain and Culture, 1997 Sigmund Koch, 'Psychology: A Study of Science', 1983 article Roger Mills, 'Psychology Goes Insane, Botches Role as Science', 1980 Mitchell and Jolley, 'Research Design Explained' (3rd Edition), 1995