Psychology in the Scope of Science

Psychology in the Scope of Science What is a Psychology? Psychology can be briefly defined as the study of human behavior and human relationships. Because relationships between people are also manifested in the form of behavior, an even shorter definition can be put forward: Psychology is the science of human behavior. Humans are the highest class of creatures. Humans have personal completeness that is more perfect than other creatures created by God. Because of the abstractness of the human soul, the material object of psychology is limited to mental activities that are observed through the manifestation of human behavior or actions. Of course, in studying behavior, people do not just make observations. There are several assumptions that can be used by psychologists in studying the human psyche. These assumptions are the starting point, guidelines or directions for our observations in an effort to study the soul that is manifested in real behavior. Psychology deals with human behavior, every phase of human personal development and their interactions. Therefore, it is very difficult to obtain adequate knowledge about the aspects and correlations of human behavior through an intensive investigation of all of them at the same time. History of Psychology Psychology is a relatively young science (around the late 1800s). As a science, psychology has come a long way. The concept of psychology can be traced back to ancient Greece, before Wundt declared his laboratory in 1879, which is seen as the birth of psychology as a science. Psychology itself has been known since Aristotle's time as the science of the soul. Aristotle viewed psychology as a science that studies the symptoms of life. The soul is an element of life (Anima); therefore, every living thing has a soul. It can be said that the history of psychology is in line with intellectual development in Europe, and gets its pragmatic form in the American continent. St. Augustine (354-430) is considered a major figure in modern psychology because of his attention to introspection and his curiosity about psychological phenomena. Descartes (1596-1650) proposed the theory that animals are machines that can be studied like any other machine. He also introduced the concept of reflex action. Many other famous philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuriesLeibnitz, Hobbes, Locke, Kant, and Hume-contributed to the field of psychology. At that time, psychology was still a discourse and not yet a science. Functions of Psychology There are four main purposes and functions of psychology, namely to describe, explain, predict, and change behavior. 1. Describing a Behavior One of the main purposes of psychology is to describe behavior. By describing the behavior of humans and other animals, one will be better able to understand what is considered normal or abnormal. 2. Explaining Things Psychologists are also interested in explaining behavior. This means that psychology can serve to answer why people do the things they do. In this case, psychology will explain what factors influence development, personality, social behavior, and health problems. 3. Predicting Psychology aims to make predictions about how people think and act. Once we understand what happened and why it happened, we can use that information to predict when, why, and how it might happen again in the future. 4. Change Psychology serves to change, influence, and control a person's behavior. It aims to make constructive changes in society. Conditions for Psychology as a Science Although there has always been the idea of a science that studies humans in the same period as the idea of a science that studies nature, but because of the complexity and dynamism of humans to be understood, psychology has only been created as a science since the late 1800s, when Wilhem Wundt established the world's first psychology laboratory. Almost all sciences have a main focus in the development of research, either as basic research or as applied research. A study considered as basic research means that the research is related to efforts in the search for new knowledge alone, regardless of whether the results of the research have direct or practical use. In order for psychology to be considered a science, it must follow the requirements as a science. The following is the fulfillment of the requirements of psychology as a science: 1. Psychology is Empirical 2. Psychology Must Be Systematic 3. Psychology must be able to make measurements 4. Psychology Must Have Scientific Facts 5. Psychology Must Have a General Definition Psychology Methods There are many methods in psychology, this is so that the weaknesses of one method can be covered by the perfection of another. These methods can be divided into: 1. Philosophical Methods • Intuitive Method • Contemplative Method • Religious Methods 2. Empirical Methods • Observation Method • Data Collection Method • Experimental Method • Clinical Method