Science occurs in three circumstances: social-cultural, historical, and moral (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2009). The activities of humans are manipulated according to the situation (2009). Social and cultural context effects the choice of topics, society’s acceptance of the findings, and locations in which the research occurs (2009).
The historical context is an empirical approach that gets answers from direct observation and experimentation (2009). In research the moral context requires researchers to uphold a very high standard of ethical behavior because it could hinder the scientific integrity (2009).
Scientific Method
The scientific method is an abstract process to help gain knowledge (the style the questions are asked and the reasoning and procedures used to gain answers) (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2009). This method helps psychologists on their journey to answer questions about thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (2009). Two significant features of the scientific method are the trust on empirical approach and the skeptical attitudes of scientists toward explanations of behavior and mental processes (2009).
The scientific method is relied upon in psychology because it increases the likelihood of reliable and objective scientific findings (Santrock, 2005). It is made up of conceptualizing a problem, collecting data, analyzing the data, and drawing conclusions (2005). By conceptualizing a problem the researcher must select an issue that he or she is skeptical or curious about and express it in statements of operational definitions and hypotheses (2005). Dependent upon the problem selected the researcher must then select a research approach that would be suitable to investigate the issue or to test the established hypothesis(es) (2005). After data is collected the researcher must analyze the data, depending on the selected style and information selected (2005). Information in psychology is commonly analyzed by statistical processes (2005). After all the aforementioned has been completed, the researcher rationalizes and develops an explanation for the findings (2005).
Qualitative and Quantitative Data
Qualitative data deals with descriptions in which the data can be observed but not measured like quantitative (Roberts, 1998). It can include areas of color, smell, textures, tastes, beauty, appearance, and many other categories (1998). Qualitative can best be remembered by linking it to quality (1998).
Quantitative data is anything that can be stated as a number or can be measured (Roberts, 1998). It can be scores on an achievement test, weight of an object, or the number of hours spent studying (1998). The data can be signified by interval, ordinal, or ratio scales (1998). Quantitative can best be remembered as quantity.
Process of Scientific Theory Construction and Testing
Theories are established by scientists with personal observation, intuition, and known ideas and facts (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2009). Theories often vary on the level of explanation and scope, but all scientific theories are “a logically organized set of propositions (claims, statements, assertions) that serves to define events (concepts), describe relationships among these events, and explain the occurrence of these events” (2009, p. 51). Intervening variables are used in the theories to explain independent and dependent variables relationships (2009). Scientific theories that organize empirical knowledge, survive meticulous testing, and guide research by contributing a hypothesis that can be tested are most successful (2009). The theories are assessed by researchers by determining the internal consistency of the theory, observing if the hypothesis outcomes are prevalent, and noting if the theory is precise on predictions based on ungenerous elucidations (2009).
Conclusion
The fundamentals of research methodology has many concepts that must be understood before a person can grasp any ideas that are presented by researchers or scientists. Psychology has become a field of its’ own, but it has aspects and concepts that are actively used from the science field. It is important to understand that science plays a critical role in helping psychology find factual and valuable information that can be utilized and presented to help expand the field of psychology. The information that is found should be explained and recorded by the researchers and scientists using both quantitative and qualitative data to help back their research findings so other professionals are capable of reproduction of the findings. Psychology is not just based on factual information and some of the findings only create theories. These theories need to be tested and uphold against the testing in order for them to be deemed valuable to psychology. If the scientists and researchers are able to create theories that can be constructed to last through the testing then the theory could be used as a valuable piece of information for the psychology field.
References
American psychological association. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/support/about/apa/psychology.aspx
Roberts, D. (1998). Qualitative vs quantitative data. Retrieved from http://www.regentsprep.org/Regents/math/ALGEBRA/AD1/qualquant.htm
Santrock, J. (2005). Psychology. (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Retrieved from http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072937769/student_view0/chapter2/
Shaughnessy, J. J., Zechmeister, E. B., & Zechmeister, J. S. (2009). Research methods in psychology (8th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
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