Abstract: Mainstream psychology, characterized as constructivism, behaviourism, and cognitive psychology through history, has adopted the principles and methodologies of natural science, trying to adapt itself as one of the natural sciences. Although this orientation helped psychology become independent and developed, it also brought problems impeding further progress of psychology. This article, concerning the future development of psychology, inquires the reasons why mainstream psychology has oriented itself as a natural science, which include: the historical influences the natural science had on psychology, the mature methodology and preponderant zeitgeist that natural science enjoyed when modern psychology appeared, the practical advantages that natural science has to perfect itself, the promotion given to natural science by social development, the psychology of the psychologists, and the complicated nature of psychology’s subject, six reasons in total. The aim of this article is to remind psychologists’ awareness of the historical and social context in which psychology develops and being influenced, as well as of the responsibility psychologists undertake for the well being of psychology as a discipline, and of the whole society.

Key words: mainstream psychology, scientism, natural-scientific orientation