Pop Pseudoscience: The Definition Of Psychology

Psychology is not a how-to guide. Its is not a crystal ball. It is not a lie detector. Psychology can be defined as "the discipline concerned with behavior and mental processes and how they are affected by an organism's physical state, mental state, and external environment." However, if I were to give my definition of psychology, I would say it is the study of the way the mind works in relation to the world around us and is based upon research and empirical evidence. In recent generations, consumerism and the media have shone a spotlight on "pop psych": pseudoscience that is cloaked with scientific language and backed with little to no empirical evidence. Psychics and gadgets that will increase one's IQ are common examples of pop psych that

There are eight key guidelines that should be followed: ask questions, define terms, examine evidence, analyze, avoid emotional reasoning, don't oversimplify, consider other interpretations, and tolerate uncertainty. Critical thinking cannot answer all of life's mysteries, but it created an open-mindedness that can be carried to different aspects of science and even one's life. Scientists of long ago, such as Hippocrates, did not know to use critical thinking and empirical evidence to distinguish and back up their theories. Instead they relied heavily on anecdotes and case studies, resulting in some valid information, but also great blunders. It was not until Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychological laboratory in Germany that real psychological research began emerging. Wundt hope to produce reliable information through introspection: the examination of one's own thoughts and

The biological lens focuses on how bodily events affect behavior, feelings and thoughts. The learning perspective lens focuses on how the environment and external experience effect one's actions. The cognitive lens emphasized cognition, which includes mental processes such as memory, understanding, learning, attention, etc. The socioculture lens focuses on how society and cultural forces affect and individual. And lastly, the psychodynamic lens deals with unconscious dynamics within one's mind such as forces, conflicts, and instinctual