Page 15 - Understanding Psychology

How to Think Li The Scientific Method
The scientific method consists of five steps that help the scientist integrate theory and research, as well as compare empirical—or factual—data with common sense ideas. Using
the scientific method will help you think like a psychologist.
Research, Projects, and Problem Solving
In your psychology course, you will also need to solve prob- lems through individual research or group projects—whether they are the Psychology Projects in this textbook or other activities your teacher may assign. Solving problems involves a series of processes including analyzing the problem, breaking it into component parts, and establish- ing goals. Here are the steps involved in problem solving:
• Identify the problem.
• Brainstorm possible
solutions.
• Evaluate the proposed
solutions.
• Choose and implement
the best solution.
• At a later time, review the
success of the solution.
To begin any project, you need to establish your goals—what you want to accom- plish, how you will accomplish it, and by when. Intermediate goals address parts of the problem that must be solved in order to arrive at the terminal goal—the final solu- tion to the problem. Use intermediate goals to establish a time line for completing the assignment, which will help you keep track of your progress. As you work, monitor and evaluate your work for schedule, accuracy, and whether it is focused on the final goal. Ask yourself: Are things working as expected? Do you need to adjust anything?
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The Scientific Method
1. Ask a question or identify a problem.
• Develop the habit of questioning assertions and asking
for evidence.
• Consider and question information; do not automatically accept or reject it.
2. Form a hypothesis.
• Remember that the goal is not to prove or disprove the
hypothesis but rather to confirm or fail to confirm it.
3. Test the hypothesis and collect data. • Use the hypothesis to make predictions.
• Test the predictions by experiments or observations. 4. Analyze the results of your test.
• Ask questions about how the “facts” were obtained— was the information collection and research process adequate?
• It does not matter who says something is true or false; what matters is the evidence—the facts and reasoning on which the idea is based.
5. Draw conclusions.
• Modify your hypothesis according to the results gained from the testing of your hypothesis.