What are the similarities between the methodologies of Physics and Psychology?

Thank You!

-- Kristine Toth (dominus@enter.net), November 26, 2003

Answers

Experimental psychologists often claim to be "scientific" in the same mold as physicists. While there is an important sense in which some psychological research is legitimately scientific, there are few parallels, in detail, between what physicists do and what experimental psychologists do (make observations directed by theory?). Indeed, it was scientific *physiology* rather than physics that provided the first models for experimental psychology. That is why Wilhelm Wundt's first textbook was entitled _Physiological Psychology_ (Wundt had first been an assistant for the great physiologist and physicist, Hermann von Helmmholtz). Behaviorism, as well, though it repudiated Wundt's theoretical stance, used physiology as its model. See John O'Donnell's book _The Origins of Behaviorism_ for details.

-- Christopher Green (christo@yorku.ca), November 27, 2003.

Just a reference: Darrigol, Olivier (2003) Number and measure: Hermann von Helmholtz at the crossroads of mathematics, physics, and psychology. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, vol.34, 515-573.

-- Rock Faulkner (rock.faulkner@umontreal.ca), December 02, 2003.