Verified Document

Psychology Research And The Scientific Method: A Essay

¶ … Psychology Research and the Scientific Method: A Concise Definition

Research as a term does not have an assigned definition. Indeed, different authors have in the past offered varying definitions of the same. In the opinion of Goddard and Melville (2004), research does not limit itself to information gathering. Research as the authors point out "is about answering unanswered questions or creating that which does not currently exist" (Goddard and Melville, 2004). In that regard, an individual who seeks to systematically gather new information in an attempt to find answers to specific questions is in one way or the other involved in research. On the other hand, when it comes to the scientific method, the same according to Jackson (as cited in Coon and Mitterer, 2010) can be defined as "a form of critical thinking based on careful collection of evidence, accurate description and measurement, precise definition, controlled observation, and repeatable results."

As Coon and Mitterer (2010) point out, the scientific method has a number of elements (six to be precise). The first element identified by the authors in this case is making observations. It is important to note that although formulation of the hypothesis is often thought to be the very first step of the scientific method, observation act as the basis of the hypothesis. The other steps of the scientific method identified by Coon and Mitterer (2010) include: problem definition, proposing a hypothesis, evidence gathering, theory building and finally, publishing of...

Parts of this document are hidden

View Full Document
svg-one

Problem definition has largely got to do with expressing an issue of interest in hypothetical terms while at the same time formulating operational definitions. A hypothesis according to Coon and Mitterer (2010) is essentially "a tentative statement about, or explanation of, an event or relationship." Proposing a hypothesis as one of the elements of scientific method therefore involves floating an explanation or tentative statement about the issue at hand. The fourth element, i.e. evidence gathering, has got to do with the collection of all the evidence that would come in handy in seeking a solution to the problem. After gathering evidence, the step that follows is theory building. Coon and Mitterer (2010) point out that a theory should be seen as a map of knowledge. Indeed, in the words of Stanovich (as cited in Coon and Mitterer, 2010), "without theories of forgetting, personality, stress, mental illness, and the like, psychologists would drown in a sea of disconnected facts." The last element in this case is the communication of the results. The relevance of publishing results cannot be overstated. According to Coon and Mitterer (2010), publishing results allows other researchers to go through the said results. This could either act as a basis for future research or help in the identification of critical faults in the study.
An Analysis of the Characteristics of Primary and Secondary Data

Sources of information can be categorized into two; that is, primary data and secondary data. Primary data in the words of Brain…

Sources used in this document:
References

Brain, C. & Mukherji, P. (2005). Understanding Child Psychology. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd.

Coon, D. & Mitterer, J.O. (2010). Psychology: A Journey (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Gravetter, F. & Forzano, L.B. (2009). Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Goddard, W. & Melville, S. (2004). Research Methodology: An Introduction (2nd ed.). Lansdowne: Juta and Company Ltd.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Child Psychology
Words: 2653 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

Child and Adolescent Psychology Over the last several years, major advancements have taken place in child and adolescent psychology. This is occurring with mental health professionals trying to gain a better understanding about which issues are impacting individuals from these demographics. The main idea is to learn how the challenges they are facing early in life will influence their behavior. Once this happens, is when new ideas can address these issues

Child Psychology Study This Study Is Designed
Words: 361 Length: 1 Document Type: Essay

Child Psychology Study This study is designed to test the hypothesis that environmental enrichment among the impoverished ad underprivileged children can lead to an improvement in their IQ levels. This is why the 20 children who were from the underprivileged sector of the society were picked and subjected to a non-residential school that was less crowded than their previous situations. This is a program that was initiated at the age of

Child Psychology Child Clinical Psychology
Words: 2204 Length: 7 Document Type: Research Paper

In order to decrease the risk of burnout, it is important to find ways to deal with stress. Learning to generate a division between ones work life and personal life is a significant first step. Practicing good stress management methods can also be very helpful (Pros and Cons of Being a Clinical Psychologist, 2012). Even though one establishes normal work hours during the day, as a psychologist they may find

Child Psychology Mander, G. May 2001 . "Fatherhood
Words: 551 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

Child Psychology Mander, G. (May 2001). "Fatherhood Today: variations on a theme." Psychodynamic Counselling, Vol. 7, Issue 2. This journal article centers on the increasing role that fathers play in parenting, especially among single parents. Mander discusses how parenting among fathers has become more an exception than the norm, and they were relegated to "minimal" roles that downplay their role as a parent, such as simply being "mere sperm donors." The article

Child Psychology Developmental Theories the
Words: 2580 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Development psychologists love to quote this stage among their discussion of adolescent growth. This is perhaps the most appropriate theory to apply when it comes to explaining about the impulsive behavior of adolescents. (Chapman, 2006) COGNITIVE THEORY by Jean Piaget Piaget's cognitive theory discusses how a child thinks or how her mind works from birth to adulthood. She believes that development of the child is not a smooth task, but rather,

Child Psychology the Movie Willa Wonka and
Words: 1359 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Child Psychology The movie Willa Wonka and the Chocolate factory and Child Psychology The Movie Willa Wonka and the Chocolate factory And Child Psychology The movie, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," is one that will always captivate imagination. The entire movie is central to Roald Dahl's book (Dahl and Schindelman, 1964). In addition, this movie is among the best of human imaginations. Although some people may perceive that the thoughts and situations depicted

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now