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Question 95

Thomas Kuhn argued that a discipline can only be classified as a mature science if it possesses a shared set of assumptions, theories, and methods. According to Kuhn, why does psychology struggle to meet this definition of a 'mature science'?

A

It relies on the hypothetico-deductive model rather than direct, objective empirical observation.

B

It is in a 'pre-science' state because it lacks a single, universally accepted paradigm and is instead divided into competing approaches.

C

Most of its core theories (such as the psychodynamic approach) are fundamentally unfalsifiable.

D

It has already undergone a paradigm shift, moving from a behaviorist to a cognitive framework, which renders past research obsolete.

Markscheme

Debates Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Psychology
  3. /Debates

276 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Debates, covering Nature/nurture, Freewill/determinism, Reductionism/holism, Individual/situational explanations, Usefulness of research, Ethical considerations, Conducting socially sensitive research, and Psychology as a science. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

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