Christianity is compatible with PhD research in psychology. The PhD researches in psychology require an in-depth search, explanation and justification of psychological issues people face. The secular psychologists operate on a bio psychosocial model of human development in order to understand certain behaviors. Therefore, they argue out that by observing an individual’s behavior, it is possible to uncover, understand, explain and treat certain behavioral problems people can encounter (Hough, 2012). However, Christian’s belief that the sole cause of suffering and any unhealthy behavior is sin.
The Christians continue to assert that a good and profiting life is earned when people can live holy lives like that of Jesus Christ (Zickar, 2013). According to this, secular psychologists fail to identify and help the person with a behavioral problem because they only focus on the symptoms of the problem and not the problem itself. Therefore, Christianity is helpful in PhD psychology researches in that it provides a compelling force for the researches to go deeper than the symptoms and help the individuals learn how to come out of the behavioral problem and lead an upright life.
The knowledge of Christian beliefs makes a PhD researcher’s worldview be determined by the scripture and not the biological, psychological or social behaviors people manifest. Therefore, Christianity helps a PhD researcher researching on psychological issues to understand that secular approaches to psychological cases can only be effective in eradicating the symptoms of a psychological problem and not the problem itself (Zickar, 2013). The Christian belief that people should be able to come out of sin and understand the reasons why they should stay away from is an important thing psychologists should incorporate into their work.
When this happens, it becomes possible that the PhD researches target more the psychological problems and not the symptoms of the problem in their researches. Moreover, the Christian beliefs will ensure that the researchers endeavor to use their work to help society lead healthy and holy lives that makes people stay away from pain (Haeney, 2014). Nevertheless, the Christian worldview and approaches to psychological issues should not obscure the secular approaches. The most important thing a researcher has to do is to have the two worldviews and incorporate them well to realize a more productive research work.
For instance, both the symptoms of a psychological problem should be analyzed and the individual and society at large provided with ways to learn good behaviors that would guarantee them escape from pain (DeGroat, 2014). The key focus on Christianity is to ensure that people are happy, productive and not sinful. On the other hand, the focus of psychology is to ensure that people lead healthy lives. Therefore, it is impossible to lead a healthy life when people are still exposed to things that eventually ruin their behaviors and their overall wellbeing.
The PhD researchers should endeavor to not only identify, explain and understand the symptoms of psychological problems but also how those problems can be avoided. Consequently, Christian beliefs will come in handy in ensuring that people learn what is right to be done and what will guarantee them a happy life. Christian Worldview Compatiability The Christian worldview is highly compatible with the research ethics in the field of psychology. The psychology research ethics refers to the best way in which a psychology research can be conducted to obtain optimal and correct results.
For instance, the researchers should respect the rights and dignity of the research participants and also record what they have ample evidence to justify it. Therefore, the PhD researchers should be able to say and explain that that they can account for fully in their researches. The focus on this makes it clear for an individual to link psychology research ethics to the key concerns of Christianity. For instance, Christianity demands that no individual should be subjected into harm by another as this would constitute sin.
Moreover, the Christian beliefs call for people to always be their neighbor’s source of joy and peace. Therefore, Christian beliefs shows that every individual have their rights and a sense of significance that have to be respected and protected by all around them. The Christian beliefs thus make it easier for a researcher in psychology to understand the research ethics and the need to observe them fully (Zickar, 2013). For instance, the Christian beliefs make them realize the need for them not to harm other people’s lives as this makes them sinful.
Moreover, it makes them to be in a position to respect other people’s rights as this would be the source of their happiness before, during and after the research. The Christian beliefs emphasize on morality; the need to lead and upright life free from lies, bad deeds and other ills. Similarly, psychological researches demands that the individual states and explains only that that they can provide enough evidence to justify it (DeGorat, 2014). For instance, it is considered wrong for a researcher to name and explain a symptom that never existed.
When this happens, a researcher is considered to have been immoral in their study. The results of any immoral conduct in research are often hard to understand, ambiguous and false. The key reason why the outcome of such researches may not be considered relevant is that the researcher only writes and explains things they cannot account for fully. On the other hand, the findings are often simple to understand, unambiguous and correct when a researcher is able to respect the participant’s rights and dignity and be able to only write and explain what they can justify.
Therefore, it is the Christian beliefs that lay down the research ethics. 3 The Christian worldview should not completely replace the secular worldview and approaches in psychology. The secular approaches are still effective in identifying and understanding the symptoms of a psychological problem and thus marking the onset of the helping process. The key strength of the secular approach is that it focuses on the biological, psychological and social influences on an individual’s behavior (Hough, 2012).
Therefore, it is possible for an individual’s behavior to be understood as a product of his or her environment. Through this, the secular approach can best identify and provide an explanation to certain behaviors. The Christian beliefs only come in to ensure that the problem is completely eradicated by teaching the individual the need to stay away from certain things or behaviors that cause the behavior. For instance, the individual can be advised not to engage in certain behaviors as they make them experience pain and thus their helpless situations.
Therefore, the Christian healthcare professionals and researchers should not use the Christian worldview only in research but also the secular worldview. The key reason behind this is to ensure that the overall research is made more effective, accurate and reliable in responding to psychological issues in society. Moreover, the focus on the two worldviews ensures that research participants get their rights and dignity respected by the researchers. The researchers and the participants should be connected together in a mutual pursuit of research goals and objectives (Morrison, 2013).