The Research Process

The Research Process
PSYC B1A
Bakersfield College

The methods of psychological research differ from a person’s everyday reasoning. The scientific method serves as the foundation of psychological research and its methods focus on making sure that the observations on which its claims are based are as objective as possible and that the data on which these claims are based are data that are replicable, reliable and valid (Coon, 2003).
Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. (Myers,1998) Psychology is filled with many different theories and has been using studies to observe peoples behavior for years. Some psychology can be perceived as common sense, but a majority of life’s decision making process requires some basic understanding of common sense. There are six major perspectives that the psychologists use when trying to figure out what is wrong with one of their patients. Psychologists use these different perspectives to try and decipher what the person 's problems are and why they react the way they do. The first is a perspective Neuroscience; this is how the body and brain create emotions, memories, and sensory experiences. The psychologists use this to perspective to try and figure out how the messages that the brain sends out are transmitted throughout the body. (Myers. 1998) Another is called the evolutionary perspective which is an approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective. It seeks to identify which human psychological traits are evolved adaptations. Behavior genetics is another perspective that is used to see how much our genes, and our environment, influence our individual differences. (Myers, 1998) These are all biological perspectives; the others have to do with the person 's environment. Environment has a lot to do with the way that people react and behave in different situations. The psychologists use the behavioral perspective to find out how we learn observable responses. (Myers, 1998) The cognitive perspective is used to figure out how we process, store, and retrieve information. (Myers, 1998) The last of the perspectives is the behavioral one. This is when they try and figure out the different state of thinking and behavior between different cultures and situations. (Myers, 1998)
According to the English Encarta Dictionary psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and mental states, and of human and animal behavior, while common sense is defined as a sound practical judgment derived from experience rather than study. It is evident from the two contrasting definitions that common sense and psychology are not one in the same (that is not to say that they have no relation to each other). Common sense consists of what people in common would agree on as their common understanding of something. There is no scientific support behind this supposed knowledge as it is often nothing more than a general consensus.

Works Cited
Coon, Dennis (2003) Essentials of Psychology. Boston: Thomson.
Myers, David G. (1998) Psychology in Modules. New York: Worth.

Cited: Coon, Dennis (2003) Essentials of Psychology. Boston: Thomson. Myers, David G. (1998) Psychology in Modules. New York: Worth.