The Psych Ward

[DrYouth]

Never got around to this in the DCF...

I figure I'll give it a swing here in our new digs.

Not sure if there is an appetite for it.... so this may be a one post thread....

I envision this thread as a platform for exploration of the psyche...

Like the Atheism thread was for spirituality, and the Mess will be for military matters...

We can cover the range of psychology - Freud, Jung, Behaviorism, Existentialism, Humanism, Medical model, Parenting, Personality....

Psychopharm industry, Cults of Personality, PTSD, ADHD and various other trends in diagnostics....

Anyone game?

[Heraclius]

I'm not sure if this relates to what you're asking about, but a topic I've been interested in is the relationship between the fields of psychology and economics. My economics professor has discussed how recent scholarly work on economics often relies on improving current models by utilizing more realistic outlooks on humans by taking into account psychological research. Typically it was assumed that humans are rational beings that do things to maximize their utility, however, behavioral economists have started to add a more nuanced view to the field.

Yet psychology seems to despise bringing economics into their field and reciprocate the relationship. I was curious as to why you'd think this to be true as I do not have the qualifications in either field to make a qualified opinion.

[DrYouth]

Silos tend to have resistance to integration...

Human nature?

Jealousy, Power dynamics, Ignorance, Tribalism, Jargon is like a language barrier...

True for all disciplines... and you would think psychology would be less vulnerable to this... but you would be best to think again.

[Smitty-48]

I don't like "Psyche Corner", if it's following along with The Mess and The Armory, it should be The Psych Ward. And whoever starts the religion thread should call it The Chapel.

[DrYouth]

Damn...

That is tight.

I dig it.

[Smitty-48]

Now you know what a Sergeant-Major is for. Carry on.

[Hastur]

Economics and psychology is similar in that they aren't really science. Very hard to test theories in a double blind environment.

It's more like compelling story telling. Trying to get to the truth by describing a hypothetical situation that might be like something real.

[DrYouth]

You can't really say that Social Sciences aren't science...

But it is much harder to apply the scientific method rigorously to social constructs...

The trick is boiling the social constructs to underlying principles that can be scientifically tested...

Psychology and affective neuroscience is a good example...

We are getting closer to finding the biological underpinnings of affective experience....

Love me some Jak Panksepp for example.

[Hastur]

I'm not dissing your field of profession. I find both economy and psychology to be extremely valuable sciences in our modern world.

What grinds my gears is when amateurs start quoting the latest theories and claims that "it's been proven in studies that..."

No stain on your work.

[TheReal_ND]

The Century of Self a BBC documentary. Four hours long and watched it a few times. It documents the history of pychology in America and covers topics such as the Office of Public Relations and corporate manipulation of the American people's pychology, in particular in regards to the consumer culture post WWII.