According to Dictionary.com (2017), the definition of psychology is: “The scientific study of mental processes and behaviour. The behavioural and cognitive characteristics of a specific individual, group, activity, or circumstance.” Psychology studies human mental functioning and behaviour by the use of systematic, scientific study known as the scientific method. The scientific method is a standardised way of making observations, gathering data, forming theories, testing predictions and interpreting results.
Courses.lumenlearning.com (2017) stated that the scientific method is based on the following process:
1.Ask a question. Make an observation of a problem or question to answer.
2.Background research. Looking into background research into
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Conduct a study and test whether the hypothesis is correct. This takes many forms, such as simple observations to elaborate experiments.
5.Analyse data. This can be known as a confirmation of hypothesis. Was the prediction correct?
6.Conclusions & Reporting. Typically takes form of publication in a respectable, peer-reviewed journal. Some studies do not meet this rigorous test of authenticity so published work should help to further our understanding of the human condition.
Without the scientific method, psychology could not be considered a scientific discipline. To be taken seriously, it is crucial for psychological investigations and findings to be sound, robust and transparent. In order to do this, validity is key. According to Study.com (2017), validity refers to a tests ability to measure what it is supposed to measure.
Psychteacher.co.uk (2017) has specified that different types of experiments include laboratory, field and natural.
-Laboratory experiments are highly controlled and extraneous variables (noise, lighting etc.) must be constant for all participants, it is important that the researcher has complete control over the independent variable (IV) - characteristic of the experiment that is manipulated or
Analysis & Discussion Answer the following questions: • Why did these results occur? • Analyse the data. Are there any patterns or trends in the data? • What is the relationship between the variables being investigated? • Is the hypothesis supported by the data?
While there are many former psychologists questioning the behaviour of the father of “behavioral psychology”, the method used in this study was certainly not classed as good psychology and there was poor professional conduct throughout (Xavier College, 2018). Overall there was only one subject and the experiment lacks any form of
When looking at clinical psychology there is a distinct mix between the treatment of mental disease and the science (as well as research methods) of psychology. Correlation Method The word correlation means a close link or relationship between two or more objects. More accurately in psychology the correlation method takes two variables and compares them, looking for increases in positivity or negativity.
The second step is forming a hypothesis. A hypothesis is your prediction for the result of the experiment based on your observations and it must be testable. The third step is testing the hypothesis by conducting an experiment. Conducting an experiment or a test is a very crucial stage of scientific method for the reason that this stage is where you
Now that we know we know what the experiment is we can look at evidence
Studying a group of people over a period of time to examine the differences of characteristics, behavior and/or feelings that might have changed over the period, is longitudinal studies. 2. How do psychologists draw appropriate conclusions about behavior from research? I’m not a hundred percent sure but I do believe psychologists make appropriate conclusions about behavior from research by repeating experiments that others may have conducted. 3.
A final example of a Psychological study that elucidates the way science and the scientific method are used in Psychology is a recent study done by Jerry Burger. There was one major difference between this study and the other two studies mentioned here, this specific study is a partial replication of the original Milgram experiment. The fact that Burgers experiment is a replication of Mailgrams original study is a great example of how psychology is a science. Frequently in science old facts and discoveries are being revisited and questioned and reimagined. In the way that Burger is looking for new undiscovered findings in a study that has already been done shows how he as a Psychologist is trying to better the study of psychology itself.
When it comes to the science of psychology psychologist are looking deeper into what affects ones behavior and mental health. Looking at the environment, health issues, cognitive, learning, and etc… How does everything affect the overall mental health of a person? 2. Distinguish between a theory, a hypothesis, and an operational definition.
A great quantity of psychologists then take the research they collected and then try to attempt and predict different cases that they’re studying. Out of the basic research that psychologists do, comes many solutions and outcomes for many
The second step would be to explain distinctively what you have analyzed. Contain a specific occasion or act in mind and be capable of saying when and where it occurred, who was affected, and what the outcome was. Stay with what you individually noticed and do not attempt to speak for others. Steer
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental process. It is consider a science because applies scientific methods to identify, investigate, collect and analyzed data, draw conclusions, and communicate the findings. According to the earliest recorded pages of history, psychology started with the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato, but they separate it when researchers began to use scientific methods to study the behavior. By the 1920s the foundation of the new science, psychology, was developed.
Is psychology a science has been a debate since the second half of the nineteenth century and scholars of the subject know this is a debate that has been continued and brought up to them. From my experience psychology is largely science-based and lives up the definition of science, "The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment" (Oxford Dictionary of English). The two goals of psychology are to explain emotions, thoughts, and behavior. Psychologists study experiments, test out variables and problems within their field to understand the brains functions, emotion, and behavior. This is enough evidence for my answer for
Psychology is ultimately the study of the mind combined with the mental process behind it. However, it is not limited to just the study of human behavior, but also that of animals. The psychological process that was the most interesting to me was humanistic psychology. The approach was interesting because it focuses on studying an individual, case-by-case, instead of a group as a whole. It also seems to be a good approach for someone who has low self-esteem or who feels depressed.
Psychology is the study of the brain and its functions, mainly pertaining to behavior. The field of psychology is one of those subjects that people are always a little more skeptical about. It is mulled
Write a short essay on either the concept of Hypothesis Testing OR Attempts to generalize research findings. Before being able to fully understand the term hypothesis testing and it’s concepts we must understand the meaning of hypothesis and hypothesis test as well as the difference between each other. Hypothesis is a supposition made of limited evidence that can led to further investigation. On the other hand hypothesis testing is a process where the Scientist analyzes that data of the hypothesis and they either accept or reject such hypothesis. There are several steps that are taken when testing a hypothesis.