Title: Social Psychology: Is It Just Common Sense? - Mibba
Headings: Social Psychology: Is It Just Common Sense?
Social Psychology: Is It Just Common Sense?
Content: Since Mathematics is arguably the “purest” science, knowledge in this area seems more “intensive” than in Psychology. Similarly, the Psychology professor was rated higher on general knowledge, emphasising that Psychology - on the whole - was largely common sense. However, what is often ignored in the naïve criticism of social psychology is that social psychology has substantial evidence to affirm it’s theories compared to common sense who does not. However, as previously discussed, social psychology has similarities and differences with common sense. These will form the basis of the following essay, expanding on the explanation of human behaviour, subjective versus objective, “agendas”, positivism, hindsight bias, reductionism and “true theory”. A similarity, as mentioned previously, is that both try to explain human behaviour. Common sense can be taken as a naïve version of Volkerpsychologie (folk psychology). Folk psychology is primarily concerned with the discussion of how an individual’s cognitive processes and emotions affect the world and vice versa. One such example of this is empathy. Characterised by the saying “being in someone else’s shoes”, empathy and empathic concern has basis in pro-social behaviour.