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The unification of psychology: A noble quest
Author(s) -
Calhoun Lawrence G.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.20075
Subject(s) - unification , psychology , focus (optics) , epistemology , psychological theory , psychotherapist , cognitive science , social psychology , computer science , philosophy , physics , optics , programming language
Henriques' effort to develop a unified theory for psychology represents a noble quest (this issue). Even if the quest fails, the effort itself may produce benefits for psychology. This article focuses first on some general comments on the unified theory, with some suggestions about elements that seem desirable in the theory and some elements that may benefit from further elaboration. A specific application to the area of posttraumatic growth suggests the theory is capable of providing a framework for understanding specific areas of human psychology. Finally, the potential future of the unified theory is considered with a focus on its potential as a “useful mass movement” in psychology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol.