Lesson 2 - Scientific Method

Learning Outcomes: 

• Identify/Discuss the scientific method of research.

Content:

Scientific Method

Introduction to Scientific Method

Important Characteristics of Scientific Method

Induction

Deduction

What is the Scope of Scientific Method?

The distinction between Induction and Deduction

Scientific Research in Psychology

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe a general model of scientific research in psychology and give specific examples that fit the model.

2. Explain who conducts scientific research in psychology and why they do it

3. Distinguish between basic research and applied research.

● Researcher formulates a research question →  conducts a study designed to answer the question, analyzes resulting data → concludes the answer to the question → published results so they become part of the research literature

● Scientific research is usually conducted by people with doctoral degrees and master's degrees in psychology and related fields

● Scientific research is classified as basic or applied

● Basic research: in psychology is conducted primarily for the sake of achieving a more detailed and accurate understanding of human behavior without necessarily trying to address any particular practical problem

● Applied research: is conducted primarily to address some practical problem

● Key takeaways:

○ Research in psychology can be described by a simple cyclical model. A research question based on the research literature leads to an empirical study, the results of which are published and become part of the research literature.

○  Scientific research in psychology is conducted mainly by people with doctoral degrees in psychology and related fields, most of whom are college and university faculty members. They do so for professional and personal reasons, as well as to contribute to scientific knowledge about human behavior.

○ Basic research is conducted to learn about human behavior for its own sake, and applied research is conducted to solve some practical problems. Both are valuable, and the distinction between the two is not always clear-cut.

● Folk psychology: intuitive beliefs about people’s behaviors, thoughts, feelings

● e.g.: most people believe that anger can be relieved by “letting it out” but scientific research has shown that this approach tends to leave people feeling angrier

● Some popular myths:○ People only use 10% of their brain power

○ Most people experience a midlife crisis in their 40s or 50s○ Students learn best when teaching styles are matched to their learning styles○ Low self-esteem is a major cause of psychological problems

○ Psychiatric admissions and crimes increase during full moons

● Why are so many intuitive beliefs about human behavior so wrong?

○ Forming detailed and accurate beliefs requires powers of observation, memory, and analysis to an extent we don’t possess

○ We rely on heuristics and tend to focus on things that confirm our beliefs rather than challenge them (confirmation bias)

● Skepticism: pausing to consider alternatives and search for evidence

● Tolerance for uncertainty: accept there are many things they simply don’t know

● People’s intuitions about human behavior, also known as folk psychology, often turn out to be wrong. This is one primary reason that psychology relies on science rather than common sense.

● Researchers in psychology cultivate certain critical-thinking attitudes. One is skepticism. They search for evidence and consider alternatives before accepting a claim about human behavior as true. Another is tolerance for uncertainty. They withhold judgment about whether a claim is true or not when there is insufficient evidence to decide.

● Psychology is also the application of scientific research to help people, organizations, and communities function better

● Clinical practice of psychology: the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and related problems

● Psychological disorders and other behavioral problems are part of the natural world

● Empirically supported treatments: one that has been studied scientifically and shown to result in greater improvement than no treatment, a placebo, or some alternative

○ Cognitive behavioral therapy

○ Exposure therapy

○ Behavioral therapy

○ Behavioral couples therapy

○ Exposure therapy with response prevention

○ Family therapy

● The clinical practice of psychology—the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems—is one important application of the scientific discipline of psychology. 

● Scientific research is relevant to clinical practice because it provides detailed and accurate knowledge about psychological problems and establishes whether treatments are effective.