Final answer:
Psychologists believe that psychological phenomena are lawful, meaning they have consistent underlying causes that can be empirically studied and understood using the scientific method. This contrasts with superstition, opinions, or non-scientific beliefs and allows for predictions based on established psychological theories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychologists are guided by the basic scientific assumption that events are lawful, which means psychological phenomena have consistent underlying causes. This refers to the belief that behaviors and mental processes can be empirically studied, and that they follow predictable, systematic patterns due to certain underlying factors.
Psychology, as a science, seeks to understand the mind and behavior through the scientific method, relying on empirical evidence rather than superstition, opinions, or non-scientific beliefs. Hypotheses are formulated and tested against observable data, fitting within broader scientific theories that are supported by evidence gathered over time.
Behaviorists, for example, explain human actions in terms of conditioning and physical factors, including genetics and learned behaviors, suggesting that with sufficient knowledge of these causes, behavior can be predicted and, in some cases, controlled. The deterministic viewpoint within psychology is that all actions, including psychological ones, stem from preceding events and the laws that govern the physical universe.