Psychology AS A SCIENCE (as good as ANY other "natural" science) is the study of (1) ONLY behavior patterns, with at least SOME _MAJOR_ foundation(s) in/of OVERT, directly-observable behavior patterns, at least at key points in development (ontogeny) and at least at the INCEPTION of the new behavior pattern, _and_ other behavior patterns that retain clear OVERT aspects _AND_ (2) corresponding aspects of the environment (related to either or both of those sorts of behavior patterns). THOSE 2 TYPES OF THINGS (behavior patterns, as just defined, and corresponding environmental aspects) AND relatively LITTLE ELSE, as basically the entire field of study -- BUT with such "pieces" as those 2 aspects of proximate causation credibly further connected or changed ONLY by simpler processes. I see the forms of associative learning as the simpler processes totally (otherwise) providing the links for behavior pattern connections or for additional behavior pattern change. **_NOW_**, THAT IS ALL; and, that is the only way to hold the field of study together and is absolutely necessary to avoid confusion _and_ to keep things clearly in terms of the sole and individual primary unit (the single human) -- the only way to have a science like other sciences (which is not only more than desirable, but absolutely necessary).
As soon as anything not directly in the category of such well-grounded and well-founded behavior patterns and their corresponding environmental aspects (and simple associative learning) is "added in", by citing ANY [supposedly] more indirectly-related OTHER kinds of [supposed] behavior-related evidence, NOT CLEARLY DIRECTLY RELATED TO the products of THE PROXIMATE CAUSES (above) AND/or simple associative learning, I see the field as then corrupted (examples of other things not clearly related include some neuroscience "findings" and "social learning"
Dear Sobhan Sarkar
Unfortunately, to understand the perspective which I am "coming from" involves reading a great deal of my other writings (all available on RG). I do not know if I could practically, or with any reasonable ease, summarize my overall perspective and approach in any short way.
It may simply be necessary to read my main stuff: the "Human Ethogram" paper ( Article A Human Ethogram: Its Scientific Acceptability and Importanc...
) and the "Collected Essays" (Book NOW the nearly complete collection of essays (RIGHT HERE) _B...
)THEN, it would likely be helpful to read my Artificial Intelligence Project
( https://www.researchgate.net/project/Developing-a-Usable-Empirically-Based-Outline-of-Human-Behavior-for-FULL-Artificial-Intelligence-and-for-Psychology ) .
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