Just like any other sciences, the development of psychology has also been fluctuating. In certain times, the development is very slow, in another time it is very fast and dynamic, and still in another time it is stagnant.
Laboratory movement hit the world. This emphasized that psychology is the heir of natural science and biology. Psychology began from experimental psychology before it became one branch of psychology which studies about physiology, sensation, perception, learning, cognition, and behaviour. Experimental psychology course along with laboratory practicum became the standard in the curriculum of psychology.
Dr. Magda Bhinnety, S.Psi., M.Si., a lecturer of Faculty of Psychology of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), mentioned that many psychological problems which should be studied by experimental psychology have changed experimental psychology evolutionarily. Experimental psychology is no longer understood as a branch of psychology, but as a method. Compared with other methods, this experimental method is very effective in determining casual effect relationship. The strenght of this method makes it often used by various branches of psychology. “Perspective changes happen alternately in psychology, but experimental psychology as a mental and behavioral study with experimental method stands still. “The old tradition continues,†she said on Wednesday (27/1) in National Conference of Experimental Psychology at Faculty of Psychology, UGM.
Added by Magda that now there are 40 research results being seen as the ones most influential and able to lay foundation, inspire new thinking, even change the direction of psychological development dramatically. Mentioned by Magda that, “Of those forty influential results, 80% use experimental method to reveal their findings.â€
The similar opinion was also delivered by Prof. Thomas Dicky Hastjarjo, Ph.D., a lecturer of Faculty of Psychology of UGM. In his opinion, experimental psychology is an effective method to prove casual hipothesis. It was emphasized by the man studying this experimental psychology, however, that experimental psychology method also has weaknesses because of its locality and particularism. Treatment is only done in particular setting, in a particular version, and only measures one or several particular dependant variables.
In the seminar held by Faculty of Psychology, some 37 papers and 11 posters from several universities in Indonesia were also presented. Those papers discussed research results which were studied from psychological perspective. Besides UGM, the participants were from University of Indonesia, Pelita Harapan University, Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta, Malang State University, Airlangga University, Bandung Islamic University, Sultan Agung University, Sanata Dharma University, Soegijapranata University, Diponegoro University and Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University.