Psychology is a science and therefore it follows the scientific method. The scientific method is a standardized way of making observations, gathering data, forming theories, testing predictions and interpreting results. This scientific method employs a set of rules that apply to a form of research that identifies cause and effect relations. This research is called an experiment and it consists of five steps. They are identifying the problem, designing the experiment, performing the experiment, evaluating the hypothesis and finally communicating the result.
To identify the problem, one has to formulate the hypothetical cause and effect in relations among variables. This step involves identifying variables, behaviours and particular environmental and physiological events. Experiments involve the manipulation of independent variables and the observation of dependent variables. Each variable must be operationally defined and the independent variable must be controlled so that no other variable is responsible for changes in the dependent variable, this procedure designs your experiment.
To perform the experiment, the researcher must organize the material to perform the experiment from the people who must perform the research. Recruit volunteers whose behavior would be observed and randomly assigned each of these volunteers to an experimental group. The experiment is performed and observations recorded. The hypothesis is evaluated by examining the data from the study to determine whether the results support the hypothesis or whether they suggest that it is wrong. Finally the results are communicated to the experimenters who have learned something about causes of behavior in research.
Psychology is a science because it uses the scientific method. Psychology follows rules and science follows rules. Psychology is a science that follows rules, therefore it follows
Bibliography: Psychology – David Myers (9th Edition) {Library} www.google.com – psychology as a science