PSY1022 Lecture 3: PSY1022 – Lecture – Week 3
26 May 2018
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Department
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Professor
PSY1022 – Lecture – Week 3- Psychology and the Scientific Method
- psychological discovery - is the process by which professionals psychology and
other behavioural sciences gather and interpret information to provide an
understanding of how and why people think, feel, and behave the way they do.
• the study of research methods and statistic or research design and
analysis
Seven commonly used approaches: –
• Superstition: drawing upon belief in supernatural causes –
• Intuition: drawing upon instincts and hunches –
• Authority: drawing upon experts/authority figures –
• Tenacity: drawing upon long-accepted facts or traditions –
• Rationalism: drawing on logical reasoning –
• Empiricism: drawing on observations directly experienced by the senses
• Science: drawing upon empirical methods and logical reasoning
- problems with non-scientific approaches
• erroneous beliefs
• inaccurate information
• flaws in logical reasoning
• perceptions biased by prior experiences
- scientific method
• helps to overcome problems associated with overgeneralisation, illogical
reasoning, selective and inaccurate observation s
• an approach to acquiring knowledge that involves formulating specific
questions and then systematically finding the answer
• The scientific method draws mainly upon the methods of rationalism and
empiricism. By using them in conjunction, it minimises the drawbacks of
using any one method on its own.
• Scientific knowledge is gathered through empirical, systematic, objective,
and controlled explorations of nature, using relatively precise measures
to test predictions and draw inferences. Such knowledge should also be
made public.
• five steps involved
•
o Observe behaviour or other phenomena
o Form a tentative answer or explanation (a hypothesis)
o Use your hypothesis to generate a testable prediction
o Evaluate the prediction by making systematic, planned
observations
o Use the observations to support, refute, or refine the original
hypothesis
- goals of science
• the goal of all scientific research is to either describe, predict and explain
or understand nature/events
• Description: Researchers seek to define or classify phenomena or events
and their relationships.
• Prediction: Description often provides the basis for predicting behavior;
adding to our knowledge of a particular phenomenon and also helpful in
the prevention and treatment of psychological disorders.
Document Summary
Psy1022 lecture week 3- psychology and the scientific method. Problems with non-scientific approaches: erroneous beliefs inaccurate information flaws in logical reasoning, perceptions biased by prior experiences. By using them in conjunction, it minimises the drawbacks of using any one method on its own. Scientific knowledge is gathered through empirical, systematic, objective, and controlled explorations of nature, using relatively precise measures to test predictions and draw inferences. Such knowledge should also be made public. five steps involved: observe behaviour or other phenomena, form a tentative answer or explanation (a hypothesis) Use your hypothesis to generate a testable prediction. Evaluate the prediction by making systematic, planned observations: use the observations to support, refute, or refine the original hypothesis. Step 1 - form a research question. Sources of research ideas common sense: observation, practical problems, past research theories. Research may be either: basic - aimed at gathering knowledge or addressing theoretical questions, applied - aimed at solving practical problems or addressing practical questions.
