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After reading this article you will learn about the relationship between psychology and other sciences.
Psychology and Biological Sciences:
The intimate relationship between psychology and the biological sciences is fairly obvious. All behaviour occurs through bodily processes. Hence, a science of behaviour is naturally dependent on other sciences which deal with the nature of the human body, the organs of the body and their functioning.
Sensations, perceptions and all forms of behaviour originate as physical and physiological reactions and often culminate in muscular actions and glandular secretions. Hence, psychology is naturally related to physiology.
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The brain plays a very important role in coordinating and organising the functions of the different organs of the body. In fact, it is the seat of all complex forms of behaviour. It is impossible to understand and explain behaviour without an understanding of the structure and functioning of the brain.
Along with the brain, the entire nervous system plays a crucial role in behaviour. Hence, there is an intimate relationship between psychology and neurology, neurophysiology, neurochemistry and other branches of knowledge which are directly involved with the study of the nervous system, particularly the brain.
Genetics, the branch of the biology which deals with the nature of inheritance of different qualities is also an important discipline from the point of view of psychology. It is not possible to understand and study behaviour without understanding the influence of heredity on behaviour.
Over the years, geneticists have carried out important researches, bringing out the role of heredity in determining behaviour. This has been particularly so in the case of abnormal behaviour like neurosis, mental retardation, psychosis etc. Studies on the role of heredity have also indicated the importance of the genes in determining the intelligence level.
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In recent years the role of chemical factors especially the hormones, secreted by endocrine glands have been shown to play an important role in behaviour. Emotional behaviour, general reactivity, temperament etc., are to a considerable extent influenced by the hormones of the endocrine glands. In view of this, disciplines like biochemistry and endocrinology have also become important sources of influences on psychology.
In addition to these specific relationships, psychology has been very much influenced by general developments in the field of biology. An outstanding example of this has been the theory of organic evolution propounded by Darwin. The reader is already aware of how differential psychology, comparative psychology and animal psychology were stimulated by the theory of organic evolution.
It is also true that the works of people like Helmholtz, Herring, Weber and others influenced the course of development of psychology in transforming it from a speculative discipline into a laboratory-based experimental discipline.
Psychology and Physical Sciences:
Physical sciences like physics and chemistry have also influenced the development of psychology. In fact, early experiments in psychology were very much modelled after and inspired by experiments in physics. Psychophysics emerged as an area of research in psychology due to the interaction between psychology and physics.
John Stuart Mill, the outstanding British thinker, suggested that psychology should be a type of mental chemistry. From the early Greek period onwards attempts have been made to investigate and establish the chemical basis for human behaviour. Developments in physics like the work of Ehrenfels in acoustics have influenced psychology. In fact, one school of psychology known as gestalt psychology was primarily inspired by this work.
The developments in quantum-physics, magnetic field theories etc., have also revolutionised psychological thinking. More recently, engineering sciences, particularly cybernetics and information theory have also influenced psychology.
These developments are responsible for the development of modem computers. Today psychologists are trying to study the similarities between computers and human behaviour particularly in areas like thinking, remembering, learning etc. Thus, we can see a very close relationship between psychology and the physical sciences.
Psychology and the Medical Sciences:
The relationship between medical sciences and psychology is very obvious. Medical sciences actually are a branch of the biological sciences. Medical sciences are concerned with the discovery of the causes of dis-functioning or malfunctioning of the body system. Advances in the medical sciences have resulted in considerable amount of knowledge about the function and structure of the brain, the nervous system and the endocrine glands.
All these are crucial to the study of behaviour. Medical sciences have contributed a lot to our understanding and treatment of abnormal behaviour. In fact, many of the leading thinkers in psychology like Freud, Adler, Jung, McDougall, Goldstein and others were originally medical men.
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Much of our understanding of human behaviour is a result of the contributions of medical men who were interested not only in treating physical diseases but also in dealing with psychological abnormalities. Abnormal psychology has developed mainly as a result of the contributions of medical sciences. In methodology, the case-history method has been a gift of the medical sciences to psychology.
Psychology and Social Sciences:
Social sciences are primarily concerned with interactions among men. Different social sciences deal with different aspects of social life. Behaviour mostly takes place in the context of society and in relation to other people. The behaviour of an individual is very much influenced by other people, social customs, social institutions, culture etc. In view of this one can readily see the relevance of social sciences for psychology.
Anthropology is supposed to be the mother of social sciences. It is concerned with the study of the culture, customs, ritual and practices of different distinct groups of people and understanding the variations among them. Since behaviour is influenced by these various factors, psychology has to understand their role in influencing behaviour.
Several anthropologists like Malinowski, Lynton, Benedict, Mead, Kluckohn, Roheim, Kardiner and others have contributed to our understanding of the various factors which explain the homogeneity or similarity of behaviour among members of a particular group and also how such groups differ from each other. Anthropological researches have thrown light on why people of a particular tribal community or even whole nations, behave as they do. These findings have very much enriched psychology.
On the other hand, psychological theory has also contributed to our understanding of the origins of culture, customs, religious practices etc. Mention must be made here particularly of the contribution of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysts like Freud, Jung, Kris, Sapir and others have made notable contributions in this regard. Thus, one can see a reciprocal relationship between anthropology and psychology.
In fact psychoanalytic anthropology and psychological anthropology try to explain the origin of all customs, cultures and practices on the basis of psychological factors. Sociology is another major social science and is primarily concerned with the social organisations of societies into family groups, kinship groups, caste groups, nation groups etc. The sociologist studies the variations in these group formations among different societies and also tries to analyse their roles in social life. Needless to say, these institutions influence behaviour.
The structure of the family, caste groups, class groups, etc., influence human behaviour. To this extent, the psychologist must understand the roles of these factors in influencing behaviour. Sociological researches have contributed a lot to psychology.
This is particularly so in understanding the behaviour of groups of people and organisations, and also in understanding the impact of groups, group standards, group expectations etc., on behaviour. Social psychology, organisational psychology and group dynamics are branches of psychology very intimately connected with sociology.
Similarly, the psychologist while studying the development of behaviour from infancy onwards has to analyse the role of society and social customs on the development of social behaviour. Sociologists like Durkheim, Parsons, Bales and others have contributed a lot to the development of psychology.
On the other hand, sociology also has gained a lot from psychology. Psychological theory has contributed considerably to explain the origin and survival of social customs and institutions. Motivational theories, learning theories and theories of perception, have contributed to the development of sociology.
Similarly sociology has also gained a lot from the methods of research developed by psychology. In addition, sociology has also made wide use of measurement techniques like attitude scales, interaction analysis etc., developed by psychologists.
Psychology and Economics:
Economics deals with the economic organisation of society like income, expenditure, the role of economic institution etc. Much of human behaviour can be called economic behaviour. Economic theories have for long considered the role of psychological factors in economic behaviour. Thus, Mill and Bentham advanced the theory of economic utilitarianism.
Subsequently, the role of psychological factors in economic activities has attracted the attention of thinkers. In recent years, McLelland and his associates have stressed the role of what is known as the achievement motivation in economic behaviour.
On the other hand, the economic structure of a society and economic factors like income, facilities etc. have been found to influence behaviour. Psychologists have been interested in the analysis of the influence of economic factors like income on the development of behaviour.
The role of poverty and economic deprivation on the development of behaviour has been extensively studied. Psychologists speak of the proverbial ‘middle-class child’ and his characteristic behaviour like ambitiousness, high anxiety etc. Thus, psychology has also been closely related to economics.
Psychology and Political Science:
Political science is another discipline which has developed extensively in recent times. Political science deals with the political organisations, institutions and government practices. In recent years there has been a very close interaction between political science and psychology.
Attempts have been made to study and analyse the influence of the political system on human character and behaviour. Psychologists have done extensive research on what is known as ‘authoritarianism’ and have tried to explain this as a product of certain types of political systems.
Similarly, concepts like Machiavellianism, autocracy, etc., which are generally applied by the political scientists to large societies have been made use of by psychologists in studying small organisations. In a classical experiment, Kurt Lewin and his followers studied autocratic groups, democratic groups, and others and compared their functioning.
Psychologists have also attempted to study the role of psychological factors in leadership. Thus, the lives of several political leaders have been analysed from a psychological angle to understand their behaviour and the factors which made them successful leaders.
Examples of such leaders whose lives have been analysed are Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Adolf Hitler and others. Psychological analysis has also been made of different aspects of political behaviour like propaganda, voting behaviour, emergence of public opinion, mob mentality etc.
Psychology and Education:
Education is, perhaps, one of the oldest sciences with which psychology has been intimately connected. The field of education is primarily concerned with the development of effective approaches and techniques for imparting knowledge and skills which would make the people personally successful and happy and socially productive.
Needless to say, in striving to achieve these, educators have to take into account psychological factors such as the nature of the learning process abilities of individuals, their needs and proper methods of teaching among other factors.
Psychologists have made extensive contributions by developing a wide variety of tests which will help the educator to measure the abilities of pupils, their inclinations, and choose the proper educational levels and situations.
Psychological theories of motivation have contributed to work out techniques of motivating reader for improving their learning. Researchers in the psychology of perception, learning and communication have contributed in evolving effective methods of teaching, preparation of useful teaching aids etc. Thus, one can see that the relationship between psychology and education is very intimate.