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.

1.1 Quiz

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1.2 Quiz

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1.3 Quiz

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1.4 Quiz

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1.5 Quiz

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1.6 Quiz

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