Psychology as a science: goals of scientific approach

• Psychology as a science

  Behaviour of people is studied and explained by the laws or principles that govern it
• Goals of the scientific approach

  • To describe behaviour
  • To understand and explain the causes of behaviour
  • To predict how people and animals will behave under certain conditions
  • To control behaviour through knowledge and control of its causes
• Steps in a scientific investigation

  1. Identify a problem

  2. State the rationale

  3. Develop a research question

  4. Formulate a hypothesis or state the objectives of the research

  5. Develop a research design

  6. Collect the observations

  7. Analyse the data

  8. Report the results
• Hypothesis


  A testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables
• Variable


  Any characteristic that differs or varies from one situation to another or from one person to another
• Operational definition


  Describes the actions or operations that will be used to measure or control a variable
• A hypothesis is not a guess, but an educated, testable prediction about what will happen
• Sample


  A subgroup of people who are similar in terms of their characteristics and relatively representative of the population a researcher is interested in drawing a conclusion about
• Population


  Any set of objects with something in common
• Data analysis


  The process of analysing the collected data to provide an answer to the research question
• Peer-review process


  • Experts thoroughly examine each submission, evaluating the methods, statistical analyses, conclusions, and contribution to knowledge and theory
  • Greatly reduces the likelihood of publishing erroneous findings
• The peer-review process is a major strength of the scientific approach
• What is a Variable?

  A characteristic that differs or varies from one situation to another or from one person to another.
• Example of a Variable?


  Weight. Weight is a variable because people of different ages, genders, and heights have different weights.
• Type of Variable?


  Independent Variable: a variable that is intentionally changed or manipulated by the researcher. Dependent Variable: a variable that is measured or observed in response to changes in an independent variable. Control Variable: a variable that is held constant to reduce the effect of external influences.