The Scientific Method in Psychology
The Scientific Method in Psychology Observation The Scientific Method in Psychology Define the Problem Propose a hypothesis Gather Evidence Keep Hypothesis Reject Hypothesis Build a theory Publish results
The Scientific Method in Psychology These are Gummy Bears
The Scientific Method in Psychology
The Scientific Method in Psychology Empirical Knowledge based on direct observation Theory A systematic general principle or set of principles that explains how separate facts are related to one another Enables researchers to fit many facts into a larger framework Organizes facts, must predict new facts, permits a degree of control over phenomenon
The Scientific Method in Psychology Hypotheses Hypothesis: specific statement of expected outcome resulting from theory States the relationship between two variables NOT: An educated guess!!!! Variable: can be any event, characteristic, condition, or behavior
The Scientific Method in Psychology Aim The aim is written before a study is run . It is a statement that tells people what the purpose of a study is. It does not predict the outcome of the study, but merely states what the study is about.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Qualitative: Deals with descriptions. Data can be observed but not measured. Colours, textures, smells, tastes, appearance, beauty, etc. Quantitative: Deals with numbers. Data which can be measured. Length, height, area, volume, weight, speed, time, temperature, humidity, sound levels, cost, members, ages, etc.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Quantitative: Strengths As the data are numerical, it allows easier comparison and statistical analysis to take place. (e.g. the average score of two different groups of participants can easily be compared).
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Quantitative: Strengths As the data are numerical, analysis is objective and scientific – there is only a minimal chance of researchers miscalculating the data and drawing invalid conclusions.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Quantitative: Weaknesses As the data are numerical, they miss out on valuable information. If the answer is simply yes/no or on a rating scale we do not know why participants choose the answer that they did.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Quantitative: Weaknesses This approach can be seen as reductionist as researchers are reducing complex ideas and behaviours to a number or percentage.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Qualitative: Strengths The data collected are in-depth responses in the words of participants so they are rich in detail and represent what participants believe Therefore, it can be argued that this approach is not reductionist.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Qualitative: Strengths As the data comes directly from participants we can understand why each participant thinks, feels or acts in a certain way.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Qualitative: Weaknesses The interpretation of the data could be subjective as we are dealing with words rather than numbers – a researcher could misinterpret what the participant was meaning to say or be biased against some of the participant’s views.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Data Qualitative: Weaknesses There may be researcher bias: the researcher might only select data that fits into the hypothesis or aim of the study. This cannot be done with quantitative data.
The Scientific Method in Psychology Which is not a question answered by quantitative research? How many? What? How? When?
The Scientific Method in Psychology Which of the following is not an attribute of qualitative research? deals with smaller, more focused samples? includes observational study? involves numbers and data? answers the question, why?
The Scientific Method in Psychology Which type of research gathers measurable information? Qualitative data Quantitative data Both answers are correct Both answers are wrong
The Scientific Method in Psychology Variables Independent variable (predictor variable) Factor(s) that change the outcome variable How do we operationalize? The variable we introduce Operationalize: to define a concept or variable so that it can be measured or expressed quantitatively
The Scientific Method in Psychology Variables Dependent variable (outcome variable) Dependent on the influence of other factor(s) How do we operationalize? In psychology this is usually a behavior or a mental process
The Scientific Method in Psychology Operationalization This is an important process that needs to be explained thoroughly. I will give you a handout and we will read through this together!
The Scientific Method in Psychology NEXT LESSON How do we collect our data? Questionnaires Interviews Observation