Why do Psychology majors have such a bad reputation?

[LOTRfan283]

Originally Posted by Kameradin

Hello! I've been wondering about this for a while. It seems everywhere I look nowadays people are bashing psychology majors as being dim and vapid airheads. I must have heard this on at least 15 different occasions, usually targeting stupid, superficial girls going for this major. This was actually a huge reason I decided to go for for a different major.

But I remember in my teens I had a genuine interest in the field, not because I was an airhead or couldn't excel in another area (always excelled in math and biology) but because I have suffered from severe OCD since the age of 12 which obviously put me in close contact with mental health professionals and inspired me to want to help other people in my situation or other types of severe and disabling mental illness. (OCD when it's severe is no walk in the park, especially for a child so I cringe to think that these children and adults' only hope will be an army of vacuous girls :/).

Unfortunately, I must admit that I have found some merit to the stereotype. One of my older cousins who we all considered unintelligent went for this very major. Coincidence? maybe, but it does make one reevaluate things. I guess I want to know how this stereotype started. Also, do you personally feel that it holds true?

Wah wah who cares? If you think thats bad, try being a History major like i am and see what people say.

[L210]

Originally Posted by patches403

Basically this^^^.

As a general rule any major that is inexact will be easier than a major that is exact.

Let's compare psych with math: On the math exam 1 + 2 = 3. There's only one correct answer, you either know it or you don't. On the psych exam 1 + 2 = at least 5 correct answers, probably more. As long as you write down a well thought out intelligent answer, you will get the question right. Anytime there's more than one correct answer to a question and the answers are more about feelings than facts, it will be easier to pass.

I would classify STEM majors, engineering, accounting, finance, math, law, and medicine as more exact majors since most of the time there is only one right answer to a question in these areas. Sure there might be some variation to the only one correct answer at the higher levels, but any correct answer in these areas is normally driven by facts, rules, and regulations, and not based on feelings.

Psych, communication, the arts, ethnic studies, education - all of these majors are more inexact because usually there are multiple right answers to the majority of questions asked and as long as the answer sounds intelligent and well thought out, it is usually considered correct. Therefore, these majors are easier to get through because you can "feel" your way through the answers.

There are also majors that are somewhere in between - I would put economics, history, languages and most business disciplines other than accounting/finance in this category.

Law and medicine are not exact. I took a philosophy of law course for my PhD program. There are a lot of schools of thought and ways to interpret law. The outcomes of Supreme Court cases often depend on the political leanings of the justices. Even in the lower courts, one case could have one outcome in one jurisdiction and a very similar case could have a different outcome in another jurisdiction. If you murdered a woman in a capital murder case, then you are much more likely to get the death penalty than if you had murdered a man. Law is a humanity that has a lot in common with philosophy, but there is also a social science component because people will make decisions based on how they feel.

There is a lot of trial and error in medicine. If one brand of medicine doesn't work, then you try another one. The doctor might have to increase or decrease the dosage a few times to get the right one. Treating cancer is very inexact. Predictions about how long someone has to live after being diagnosed with a terminal illness are often wrong. Psychiatry suffers from the same problems as psychology. They both operate the same, except that psychiatrists can prescribe medication in every state and territory. Psychologists can only prescribe medication in two states. There are often misdiagnoses when it comes to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Psychology and the other social sciences don't really operate the way you described, at least when you get to the graduate level. They are not the humanities and shouldn't be compared with subjects like communications and literature. There are theories that have been tested extensively. If your answer is contrary to well-accepted theories, then your answer will be wrong. If your diagnosis and treatment suggestion for someone's mental disorder goes against evidence-based practices and APA guidelines, then your answer will be wrong. Mental health is a healthcare field.

Let's take criminal justice and criminology, for example. They borrow a lot from psychology, economics, and sociology. If one of my students were to recommend boot camp as a punishment, then the answer would be wrong. There are mountains of evidence that boot camp usually does not work and makes lower-level offenders worse. If they recommended a Scared Straight program, then the answer would be wrong. Scared Straight programs are a waste of money because they usually don't work. If you want to decrease drug use among juveniles in a community and you recommend D.A.R.E., then the answer would be wrong. D.A.R.E. is another waste of money (at least in its original design) and has even been found to increase interest in drugs in suburban kids who previously had little knowledge of drugs.