Chapter 1. Scientific Method

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Psychologists use the scientific method to conduct research. The scientific method allows researchers to collect empirical (objective) evidence by following a sequence of carefully executed steps. In this infographic, you can trace the steps taken in an actual research project performed by two psychologists who were interested in the effect of “counting your blessings” (Emmons & McCullough, 2003). Notice that the process is cyclical in nature. Answering one research question often leads researchers to develop additional questions, and the process begins again.

Step 1 is to develop a question. To do this, a researcher will: observe the world around him; identify a personally interesting topic; review scientific literature on this topic. For example, Grandma always says, Count your blessings. Why? What is the impact of a grateful outlook? Step 2 is to develop a hypothesis (or a testable prediction). To do this, a researcher will: look for existing theories about the topic; establish operational definitions to specify variables being studied. For example, people who think about positive events in their lives will report greater psychological well-being that people who think about negative events. Step 3 is to design study and collect data. A researcher plans a well-controlled study. Data are collected when the study is performed. A study can be experimental or descriptive. Data are collected using controlled measurement techniques. For example, researches randomly assign participants to three groups. Every week, Group 1 participants list five things they are grateful for; Group 2 participants lists five things that bother them; and Group 3 participants list any five things that happened. All three groups are surveyed weekly to determine their psychological well-being. Step 4 is to analyze the data. A researcher organizes and analyzes the data and determines whether the hypothesis is supported. For example, Group 1 participants reported significantly greater well-being than other groups. Researches conclude that people who count their blessings feel better about their lives as a whole. Step 5 is to publish the findings. A researcher writes a description of the study and submits it to an academic journal, where it will be pre-reviewed and if approved, published for other researches to read and use in their own research. For example, the researches write an article titled, Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. It is published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

QUESTION: Which of the following terms is the best synonym for the word “empirical?”

Idiographic

Objective

Nomothetic

Subjective

Correct.

Incorrect.

QUESTION: The scientific method consists of several steps that must progress in a logical sequence. The first step in that sequence is clearly:

developing a question.

designing a study and collecting data.

developing a hypothesis.

analyzing data.

Correct.

Incorrect.

QUESTION: Mark is conducting a research study in which he has hypothesized that people will have greater difficulty running a distance of one-quarter of a mile after they are exposed to second-hand smoke for 5 minutes. He has enlisted the participation of several people, and has divided them up into two groups. He has gathered data from how well people ran the quarter-mile distance whether they were or were not exposed to the second hand smoke. How will he now be able to determine if his hypothesis was correct?

He will need to analyze the data that he gathered

He will have to collect more data, since he clearly does not have enough participant groups

He will need to develop another research question so that he can have a basis for comparison.

He will need to see whether other published studies have examined his particular research question

Correct.

Incorrect.

QUESTION: Why do your authors describe the scientific method as being a “cyclical” process?

Because it is often necessary to analyze one’s data several times before the statistics will support the stated hypotheses

Because publishing a research article often involves many rounds of alterations and changes to a submitted manuscript

Because the findings of one study often present questions for future research studies

Because scientific research often involves removing some participants from a study and replacing them with others, so that the data will point to a desired outcome

Correct.

Incorrect.

QUESTION: Which of the following is not part of the process of developing a hypothesis?

Coming up with a testable prediction regarding the outcome of the study

Looking for existing theories about the topic being researched

Deciding whether or not a study will employ descriptive or experimental methods

Establishing operational definitions to specify variables being studied

Correct.

Incorrect.

QUESTION: Jared has been trying to come up with a research question on which he will base his doctoral dissertation for several weeks, but has been unsuccessful. He goes to his advisor, Dr. Reggiera, to ask for advice about getting over this hurdle. Dr. Reggiera tells him that there are several things he can do to help determine what his research question will be. They will likely include all but which of the following ideas?

“Observe the world around you.”

“Identify a personally interesting topic.”

“Review scientific literature on a topic.”

“Think about a question that has not yet been examined.”

Correct.

Incorrect.

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Chapter 1. Scientific Method

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