International Journal of Psychoanalysis and Education (Sep 2017)
The importance of theory-driven psychology for overcoming common sense: The case of psychopathology
Abstract
Salvatore (2015) argues that psychology, in its development, has built his knowledge based on common sense. Only a theory-driven approach, in contrast to the prevailing evidence-based one, could overcome such an impasse. This paper tries to show how Salvatore’s approach, only apparently paradoxical, could be better understood through the example of psychopathology. Psychopathology is actually a discipline in which, against appearance, the influence of common sense is extremely intense.