soft science

noun
1.
any of the specialized fields or disciplines, as psychology, sociology, anthropology, or political science, that interpret human behavior, institutions, society, etc., on the basis of scientific investigations for which it may be difficult to establish strictly measurable criteria.
Compare hard science.
Origin
1965-70
Examples from the web for soft science
  • Some might think that physics has also become a soft science.
  • There is nothing wrong with fantasy fiction or soft science fiction.
British Dictionary definitions for soft science

soft science

noun
1.
a science, such as sociology or anthropology, that deals with humans as its principle subject matter, and is therefore not generally considered to be based on rigorous experimentation