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Smedslund J. Why Psychology Cannot be an Empirical Science. Integr Psychol Behav Sci. 2016;50(2):185-95doi: 10.1007/s12124-015-9339-x.
Smedslund, J. (2016). Why Psychology Cannot be an Empirical Science. Integrative psychological & behavioral science, 50(2), 185-95. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-015-9339-x
Smedslund, Jan. "Why Psychology Cannot be an Empirical Science." Integrative psychological & behavioral science vol. 50,2 (2016): 185-95. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-015-9339-x
Smedslund J. Why Psychology Cannot be an Empirical Science. Integr Psychol Behav Sci. 2016 Jun;50(2):185-95. doi: 10.1007/s12124-015-9339-x. PMID: 26712604.
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Integr Psychol Behav Sci. 2016 Jun;50(2):185-95. doi: 10.1007/s12124-015-9339-x.

Why Psychology Cannot be an Empirical Science.

Integrative psychological & behavioral science

Jan Smedslund

Affiliations

  1. University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. [email protected].

PMID: 26712604 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-015-9339-x

Abstract

The current empirical paradigm for psychological research is criticized because it ignores the irreversibility of psychological processes, the infinite number of influential factors, the pseudo-empirical nature of many hypotheses, and the methodological implications of social interactivity. An additional point is that the differences and correlations usually found are much too small to be useful in psychological practice and in daily life. Together, these criticisms imply that an objective, accumulative, empirical and theoretical science of psychology is an impossible project.

Keywords: Empirical science; Generalized human mind; Infinite number of factors; Irreversibility; Practical relevance; Social interactivity; The pseudo-empirical

References

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