Question: Is social psychology scientific in nature?
Answer: I would “twist” your question a little bit saying, that if social psychology traced its roots back to fundamental Natural laws, then it would become a true science.
There is nothing more important than true, “material”, social psychology based on the fundamental laws of Nature, as our whole existence depends on how we interact, interconnect with one another.
We already know that the difference in between Humanity and other living organism is the social organization, behavior.
While all other living organism – including the apes we evolved from – automatically, instinctively remain within the boundaries of Nature’s “circle of life”, within the precisely governed natural “mutual guarantee”, which is crucially necessary for maintaining balance, homeostasis in closed natural systems – like Earth, or our Universe.
Only Human beings apply their inherently “unnatural”, egocentric, self-serving, proudly individualistic and subjective nature to social connections, organization. This is why Human society is hostile, destructive. This is why we are incompatible with the rest of the Natural system.
Unfortunately our present sciences, all our observations are also based on the same egocentric, self-justifying, subjective nature thus they can’t help us in finding our way back to integration with each other and with Nature’s system.
This is why we need a unique “social psychology”, scientific method which was based on and which continued developing by keeping its roots firmly attached to Nature’s fundamental laws, allowing us to trace back our origin and re-integrate into the system consciously, purposefully, methodically.
Through this conscious re-integration – with the help of the appropriate Natural science – we can justify our Human uniqueness. This way we attain the Natural system in its complete perfection as a result of the contrast, comparative research we gain by “returning” above, against our own original egocentric and subjective “outsider” viewpoint – having both an outside and an insider viewpoint, perspective of the system.