A procedural method that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, it consists of systematic observation, measurement and experiment, and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses. Today, psychologists use the scientific method to conduct their research.
Like other social sciences, psychology requires a specific methodology to be able to regulate both its studies and its knowledge production. In the following Psychology-Online article, we will present the method in scientific psychology. In addition, we will analyze the main methodologies.
Introduction to the Method in Scientific Psychology
The cientific method It is a standardized way of making observations, collecting data, forming theories, testing predictions, and interpreting results. Researchers make observations to describe and measure behavior.
The basic steps of the scientific method in psychology are:
- Make an observation that describes a problem,
- Create a hypothesis,
- Test the hypothesis, and
- Draw conclusions and refine the hypothesis.
Scientific method theory
The method common to all science is the method hypothetical-deductive or scientific method. It consists of four moments:
- Observation measurement of behavioral or cognitive events.
- Hypothesis formulation: conjectures formulated by the scientist about the observed facts. The hypothesis must allow for the possibility of being falsified in experimentation.
- deduction of conclusions: In experimentation, specific cases of the hypothesis are tested, never the hypothesis in general. It has to be stated in terms of conditional (if…then).
- Contrast: is to subject the specific cases deduced from the hypothesis to experimentation. It is now when the inductive technique is used. By carrying out the experiment the hypothesis can be verified, when the data supports it, or rejected, thus being falsified.
With the verification of the hypotheses, the scientific method seeks regularities for the formulation of laws and theories. The methodical techniques. They refer to the different ways of carrying out each of the moments of the hypothetico-deductive method.
In psychology, three methodical techniques are fundamentally used in the contrast phase: experimental, correlational and observational.
The Experimental Technique in psychological methodology
It is a way to test hypotheses. through experimentsthrough which a situation is created, normally in the laboratory, in which the aim is to find out the effects of one variable (independent) on another variable (dependent) and thus be able to establish a relationship between them.
The main characteristic of this technique is that the researcher can manipulate and control the variable independently as appropriate, to ascertain such relationship. For laboratory research, a prior design is required that describes:
- the subjects who are going to be part of the experiment.
- the necessary devices.
- the procedure and the situation in which the experiment is to be carried out.
- the mathematical analysis that will be carried out with the data obtained.
As a consequence of this entire process, it will be possible to decide whether or not the starting hypothesis is met. The most basic experiment in which the effect of an independent variable on the dependent variable is studied uses a type of design called bivariate (only the relationship between two variables is sought).
But you may also be interested in finding out the effect of several independent variables, for which it is necessary to use multivariate designs. The main advantages of the experimental method are: The great ability to manipulate the situation.
For greater control of the effect of the independent variable, the control group. This group is also subjected to the experimental situation, except as far as the independent variable is concerned. Thus it can be verified with great certainty that the changes in the experimental group are due solely to the effect of the treatment. Allows repetition of the experiment at any time the experimenter deems appropriate; This is called duplication.
When some changes are introduced in the repetition of the experiment, it is called constructive repetition. The main criticisms of the experimental method come from the behaviorist environment:
- the situations created in the laboratory are excessively artificial.
- Although this is true, in these situations the functions and processes that determine behavior can be studied in their natural environment.
- Not all the intervening variables are really controlled.
- the experimenter increases the ambiguity of the observable aspects of the behavior. These criticisms have led to the use of the introspective report, although with some limitations, given its private nature.
In relation to the internal validityor existence of a relationship between the variables, two criticisms have been raised:
- The experimenter effect: certain characteristics of the experimenter can influence the results. This is corrected by using several experimenters.
- The characteristics of the demand: the subject usually answers in accordance with what he believes is expected of him.
Refering to external validityor generalizability of the results, has been solved by reduplicating the experiment.
Correlational Method
Another technique in the scientific methodology of psychology is known as correlational method: since it is not always possible to carry out an experiment to test a hypothesis, when psychological variables are studied, such as hypothetical constructs (e.g. intelligence), which cannot be manipulated by the experimenter, but rather occur among the subjects of a population , the comparative or correlational technique is used.
This technique is based on the correlation coefficient, which determines the relationship between two variables but not its cause. Its use is descriptive, not explanatory and serves to establish comparisons. It is mainly used through the mathematical technique of factor analysis.
Observational Method
With this method in applied psychology, phenomena are studied as they occur in nature. Psychological observation uses a series of hypotheses already raised and its main objective is to directly verify the phenomena. This technique is necessary on many occasions to know the behavior of the individuals to be analyzed.
It is mainly used in , when dealing with variables that can only be observed. There are two types of observation:
- Passive: is the one carried out in the data collection phase of the hypothetico-deductive method.
- Active: It is carried out in a controlled manner and is called systematic observation. It is used in contrast.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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