To what extent is the knowledge we produce determined by the methodologies we use?

The human sciences aim to understand the complexities of human behavior, either at the

individual or collective level. Among these disciplines, economics focuses on optimizing resource

allocation and the decision-making processes of various stakeholders. Similarly, psychology aims

to describe, explain, predict, and potentially modify cognitive and biological patterns. Unlike the

natural sciences, where direct physical measurements—such as the dimensions of a cell—are often

feasible, the human sciences rely on designing appropriate methodologies, which refer to the choice

of collection and interpretation of empirical evidence. This essay will explore the extent to which

methodologies shape the knowledge generated in economics and psychology and will analyze the

factors that cause variation in methodologies.

In economics, knowledge produced using different methodologies often exhibits only minor

differences. This is because methodologies mostly rely on a shared set of assumptions refined and

verified over centuries based on real-world practices. In this case, economic models are assumptions

that simplify complex economic systems into understandable constructs that can guide decision-

making for societal prosperity. Take Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an example, GDP is a

measure of the value of aggregate output within an economy; GDP is often used to assess the general

health of the economy and allow the government to make decisions to promote sustainable

economic growth. Two distinctive methods are typically used to calculate GDP —the expenditure

approach and the output approach. The former focuses on the demand side of the economy,

collecting and adding up consumption, investment, government spending, and net exports to

determine the total expenditure on goods and services within an economy. The latter investigates

the economy's supply side by summing up the value of all final goods and services (e.g., agriculture,

manufacturing industries) produced in an economy. Although the two approaches use different

methods, they usually yield similar results. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the US

GDP in 2019 was approximately 21.43 trillion USD using both methods, suggesting that variations

in methods don't cause a significant impact on the GDP value calculated. In this case, both

approaches are based on an established assumption that models the economy, called the "circular

flow of income." Specifically, the expenditure approach considers the flow of money from

consumers to producers, both directly and indirectly, within the model. Conversely, the output

approach takes the opposite direction, measuring the value of final products flowing from producers
to consumers. According to the logic of this model, both approaches should, in theory, yield identical

results. The circular flow of income model has proven effective in assessing economic health and

assisting in policymaking over the past century. Despite the two methods collecting data from

completely different components of the economy and having unique interpretations of the index

each measured, they were collected and interpreted based on the same macroeconomic

understanding, which caused them to arrive at similar results. Therefore, the economic knowledge

we produce is determined by the methodologies to a small extent, largely due to shared foundational

assumptions.

Unlike in economics, the field of psychology is characterized by distinct foundational

assumptions that govern different approaches to understanding the human mind and behavior. These

unique perspectives—primarily biological and cognitive—have profound implications for the

methodologies employed by researchers, leading to significantly divergent knowledge produced.

For instance, treatment of depression typically involves medication or cognitive behavior therapy.

To design the treatment from a biological perspective, psychologists first conducted experiments to

measure brain chemicals to investigate potential causes of this mental problem. Then, they found a

negative correlation between the severity of depression and the level of serotonin. Specifically,

researchers inferred that serotonin may help regulate mood by inhibiting negative emotions like

sadness and anxiety, as people with high serotonin levels generally behave more optimistically and

socially and vice versa. Therefore, researchers invented serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)

medicines to increase its levels and treat depression. On the other hand, cognitive treatments initially

focused on finding patterns in patients' thoughts and the emotions they expressed. As a result, a

significant difference in explanatory style regarding past events between patients and normal people

was found; patients tend to attribute misfortunes to themselves and habitually exaggerate personal

mistakes. Consequently, strategies such as rational-emotive therapy were created to train patients

and gradually influence their mindset to become "rational thinkers." In this case, the biological

approach‘s methodologies are developed from the assumption that all mental statuses are

determined by brain chemicals, leading researchers to collect quantitative data on brain chemicals

and attempts to see its correlation with depression severity to design medication; in contrast, the

cognitive side’s assumption ignores biological factors but states that one’s mindset heavily

influences one's mental status, causing them to look for shared qualitative patterns of the mindset
and provides treatment plans that are cognitively based. Knowing both assumptions seemed to be

valid as supported by massive psychological experiments, a possible explanation for such difference

in assumption existing in this field is the extraordinary complexity of the human mind, as multiple

factors influence its operations, and each approach only offers a unique but incomplete view of the

intricate landscape of the human mind. In summary, the methodologies in psychology are

intrinsically tied to their distinctive foundational assumptions, leading to the collection and

interpretation of different types of empirical evidence and resulting in divergent therapeutic

strategies for conditions like depression. Therefore, it is evident that the knowledge produced in

psychology is significantly determined by the methodologies employed.