Posted by alexandra_k on October 20, 2005, at 20:51:14
In reply to Why are there so many psychology books?, posted by orchid on October 20, 2005, at 20:03:27
> I went to the local library the other day, and was amazed at the number of psychology books that they had. They must have had atleast 3000 - 4000 books.
yup. and thats to say nothing of journals...
> I am wondering what is there to write so much about? Just curious. Any ideas?psychology is a HUGE and very diverse field.
>All that one needs to know is basically to be happy and at peace with their selves and to have good social contacts and some personal values. But I guess there are so many nuances to it.
thats just one idea of what psychology is / should be. most people consider psychology to be... the science of behaviour. and there are many levels at which behaviour can be studied (neuroscientific / physiological, cognitive, behavioural, group etc).
and then some people think psychology is / should be / or at the very least should include phenomenology (consciousness) too.
and then there is all the personal development stuff...
> Anyway, it took the charm out of psychology for me a little bit. It just has become like any other science subject !!
yes. and that... was thought to be a very significant achievement indeed. we can use our minds... to study our minds. the very idea was thought to be conceptually confused for quite a while.
> IT was little mystical and mysterious and majical before. But then now it has become just a usual mundane thing.
lol! well... we are part of the natural world just like everything else.
i still think there is something very amazing indeed in the point that there is something that it is like to be me. and presumably to be you. and presumably to be the higher mammals too.
as for the sheer number of self-help books...
methinks there is money in them hills...
lots of hurting people looking for *the answer* or the quick fix solution.a lot of what works in those strategies...
has been covered in the scientific literature as well.and experimental psychology (as a scientific discipline) well... the sheer numbers of the behaviourists journals amaze me. page after page after page of graphs of reinforcement schedules and time taken to extinguish behaviour etc etc. yucko.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:569496
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20051018/msgs/569556.html