Preview

Psychology Follows the Scientific Method and Is Therefore Considered as a Science. Discuss

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
736 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Psychology Follows the Scientific Method and Is Therefore Considered as a Science. Discuss
Question : Psychology follows the scientific method and is therefore considered as a science. Discuss

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

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    An experiment establishes the relationship through manipulation of the study sample. For an accurate estimate of the relationship between variables, an experiment may need only tens of subjects. Experimental designs are often called true experimental research which can be identified by three characteristics: (1) pre-posttest design, (2) a treatment group and a control group, and (3) random assignment of study participants. Trochim, W. M. K., & Donnelly, J. P. (2008).…

    • 1632 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ps300 Unit 2 Project

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Research is designed to provide explanations and prove theories, researcher go beyond normal everyday observation and assumption and through various research methods used through systematic and controlled observation show empirical evidence that those observation are valid and prove their hypothesis. There are four different types of research methods that psychology uses to prove the hypothesis and when the researcher begins to prove a theory they must decide on the proper research method to follow to prove that theory.…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The application of the scientific method uses mathematics and inquiry-based learning to the application of psychology as a science (Kampis & Karsai, 2010). Statistics is a branch of mathematics that focuses on the organization, analysis, and interpretation of a group of numbers…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Experimental Method p.16: research method that involves manipulating independent variables to determine how they affect dependant variables…

    • 4430 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Psychology Quiz 1

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages

    8. The scientific method is the assumptions, rules, and procedures that psychologists use to gather observations.…

    • 335 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Experimentation: Uses scientific method. Manipulation of variables under controlled conditions in order to infer cause and affect relationships…

    • 6427 Words
    • 35 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Psychology 101: Chapter 1

    • 1679 Words
    • 7 Pages

    g. The science of psychology helps make these examined conclusions, which leads to our understanding of how people feel, think, and act as they do.…

    • 1679 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The experimenters used the experimentation research method which is where the researcher manipulates one variable, which is the independent variable and observe and control the other variables which is the dependent variable…

    • 995 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    Social psychology employs the scientific method of research to study behavior and as such has been defined as:…

    • 2290 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    * As with all science, psychology is interested in discovering a new information that can be verified by other researchers. The methods that psychologists use include: experimental method, observational, survey, test method and case histories.…

    • 1313 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Many studying Psychology might be shocked that statistics is a requirement. It is vital to understand statistics and how it relates when performing research. Many methods have been developed when researching a subject, most commonly known and used is the scientific method. The scientific method is a four-step process to ensure accuracy in the representation of the conclusion. Many forms of data are incorporated to prove or disprove a theory or hypothesis. These data are then classified as primary data or secondary data. Statistics is a vital form of data that can be used when forming your conclusion and it forms as mathematical proof.…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Psychology as a Science

    • 1163 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Psychology is the scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes. (Fuchs & Milar, 2002). But what makes it a scientific study? First of all, why not? Nowadays the idea of psychology as a science seems so natural to us, but it was not always like this.…

    • 1163 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psychology

    • 1725 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Psychology should be seen as a science. Theories need to be supported by empirical data obtained through careful and controlled observation and measurement of behavior. Watson stated that “psychology…

    • 1725 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

     Psychology is a pure science because : • It is empirical. • It is a systematic study. • It uses measurements and tools of measurements. • It helps to define terms. …

    • 2258 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    psych as a science

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Psychology had its separation from the field of philosophy in the late 1870s, at this point Psychology became its own branch of science. Science greatly revolves around Empiricism, which states that the only true source of knowledge comes through our senses, and experience. By gaining knowledge through experiment, lead to the development of scientific enquiry.…

    • 717 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays