2.1
Learning objectives
Scientific research is a critical tool for successfully navigating our complex world.
While many of us feel confident in our abilities to decipher and interact with the world
around us, history is filled with examples of how very wrong we can be when we fail to
recognize the need for evidence in supporting claims.
The goal of all scientists is to better understand the world around them.
Psychologists focus their attention on understanding behavior, as well as the cognitive
(mental) and physiological (body) processes that underlie behavior.
Scientific knowledge is empirical: It is grounded in objective, tangible evidence that can
be observed time and time again, regardless of who is observing
While behavior is observable, the mind is not. If someone is crying, we can see
behavior.
However, the reason for the behavior is more difficult to determine.
There are situations in which an individual is either uncomfortable or unwilling to answer
the question honestly, or is incapable of answering. Ex: Infants
Figure 2.2
Some of our ancestors, across the world and over the centuries, believed that
trephination — the practice of making a hole in the skull, as shown here —allowed evil
spirits to leave the body, thus curing mental illness and other disorders.
Use of research Information
Trying to determine which theories are and are not accepted by the scientific community
can be difficult, especially in an area of research as broad as psychology.
Researchers are coming to different conclusions regarding the use of technology.
,Until sufficient amounts of research have been conducted, there will be no clear
consensus on the effects that technology has on a student's acquisition of knowledge,
study skills, and mental health
We should strive to think critically about the information we encounter by exercising a
degree of healthy skepticism
-We should examine the claim from a number of different perspectives: what is the
expertise of the person making the claim, what might they gain if the claim is valid, does
the claim seem justified given the evidence, and what do other researchers think of the
claim?
We should inform consumers of the information made available to us because decisions
based on this information have significant consequences.
-One such consequence can be seen in politics and public policy.
Psychologists and other scientists have conducted vast amounts of research on such
programs and, in general, the programs are found to be effective
-While not all programs are equally effective, and the short-term effects of many such
programs are more pronounced, there is reason to believe that many of these programs
produce long-term benefits for participants
It is not just politicians who can benefit from using research in guiding their decisions.
We all might look to research from time to time when making decisions in our lives.
Facts are observable realities, and opinions are personal judgments, conclusions, or
attitudes that may or may not be accurate. In the scientific community, facts can be
established only using evidence collected through empirical research.
Notable Researchers
Margaret Floy Washburn (1871–1939) was the first woman to earn a PhD in
psychology.
-Her research focused on animal behavior and cognition
Mary Whiton Calkins (1863–1930) was a preeminent first-generation American
psychologist who opposed the behaviorist movement, conducted significant research
into memory, and established one of the earliest experimental psychology labs in the
United States
, Francis Sumner (1895–1954) was the first African American to receive a PhD in
psychology in 1920. His dissertation focused on issues related to psychoanalysis.
-Sumner also had research interests in racial bias and educational justice.
-Sumner was one of the founders of Howard University’s department of psychology, and
because of his accomplishments, he is sometimes referred to as the “Father of Black
Psychology.”
Inez Beverly Prosser (1895–1934) became the first African American woman to
receive a PhD in psychology. Prosser’s research highlighted issues related to education
in segregated versus integrated schools, and ultimately, her work was very influential in
the hallmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that segregation of
public schools was unconstitutional
The establishment of psychology’s scientific roots occurred first in Europe and the
United States
-It did not take much time until researchers from around the world began to establish
their own laboratories and research programs.
Some of the first experimental psychology laboratories in South America were founded
by Horatio Piñero (1869–1919) at two institutions in Buenos Aires, Argentina
-In India, Gunamudian David Boaz (1908–1965) and Narendra Nath Sen Gupta
(1889–1944) established the first independent departments of psychology at the
University of Madras and the University of Calcutta, respectively. These developments
provided an opportunity for Indian researchers to make important contributions to the
field
In 1905, Mary Whiton Calkins was elected as the first female president of the APA,
and by 1946, nearly one-quarter of American psychologists were female.
Psychology became a popular degree option for students enrolled in the nation’s
historically Black higher education institutions, increasing the number of Black
Americans who went on to become psychologists.
The Process of Scientific Research
The scientific process is circular, the different types of reasoning within the circle are
called deductive and inductive.
- In deductive reasoning, ideas are tested in the real world; in inductive reasoning,
real-world observations lead to new ideas
Learning objectives
Scientific research is a critical tool for successfully navigating our complex world.
While many of us feel confident in our abilities to decipher and interact with the world
around us, history is filled with examples of how very wrong we can be when we fail to
recognize the need for evidence in supporting claims.
The goal of all scientists is to better understand the world around them.
Psychologists focus their attention on understanding behavior, as well as the cognitive
(mental) and physiological (body) processes that underlie behavior.
Scientific knowledge is empirical: It is grounded in objective, tangible evidence that can
be observed time and time again, regardless of who is observing
While behavior is observable, the mind is not. If someone is crying, we can see
behavior.
However, the reason for the behavior is more difficult to determine.
There are situations in which an individual is either uncomfortable or unwilling to answer
the question honestly, or is incapable of answering. Ex: Infants
Figure 2.2
Some of our ancestors, across the world and over the centuries, believed that
trephination — the practice of making a hole in the skull, as shown here —allowed evil
spirits to leave the body, thus curing mental illness and other disorders.
Use of research Information
Trying to determine which theories are and are not accepted by the scientific community
can be difficult, especially in an area of research as broad as psychology.
Researchers are coming to different conclusions regarding the use of technology.
,Until sufficient amounts of research have been conducted, there will be no clear
consensus on the effects that technology has on a student's acquisition of knowledge,
study skills, and mental health
We should strive to think critically about the information we encounter by exercising a
degree of healthy skepticism
-We should examine the claim from a number of different perspectives: what is the
expertise of the person making the claim, what might they gain if the claim is valid, does
the claim seem justified given the evidence, and what do other researchers think of the
claim?
We should inform consumers of the information made available to us because decisions
based on this information have significant consequences.
-One such consequence can be seen in politics and public policy.
Psychologists and other scientists have conducted vast amounts of research on such
programs and, in general, the programs are found to be effective
-While not all programs are equally effective, and the short-term effects of many such
programs are more pronounced, there is reason to believe that many of these programs
produce long-term benefits for participants
It is not just politicians who can benefit from using research in guiding their decisions.
We all might look to research from time to time when making decisions in our lives.
Facts are observable realities, and opinions are personal judgments, conclusions, or
attitudes that may or may not be accurate. In the scientific community, facts can be
established only using evidence collected through empirical research.
Notable Researchers
Margaret Floy Washburn (1871–1939) was the first woman to earn a PhD in
psychology.
-Her research focused on animal behavior and cognition
Mary Whiton Calkins (1863–1930) was a preeminent first-generation American
psychologist who opposed the behaviorist movement, conducted significant research
into memory, and established one of the earliest experimental psychology labs in the
United States
, Francis Sumner (1895–1954) was the first African American to receive a PhD in
psychology in 1920. His dissertation focused on issues related to psychoanalysis.
-Sumner also had research interests in racial bias and educational justice.
-Sumner was one of the founders of Howard University’s department of psychology, and
because of his accomplishments, he is sometimes referred to as the “Father of Black
Psychology.”
Inez Beverly Prosser (1895–1934) became the first African American woman to
receive a PhD in psychology. Prosser’s research highlighted issues related to education
in segregated versus integrated schools, and ultimately, her work was very influential in
the hallmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that segregation of
public schools was unconstitutional
The establishment of psychology’s scientific roots occurred first in Europe and the
United States
-It did not take much time until researchers from around the world began to establish
their own laboratories and research programs.
Some of the first experimental psychology laboratories in South America were founded
by Horatio Piñero (1869–1919) at two institutions in Buenos Aires, Argentina
-In India, Gunamudian David Boaz (1908–1965) and Narendra Nath Sen Gupta
(1889–1944) established the first independent departments of psychology at the
University of Madras and the University of Calcutta, respectively. These developments
provided an opportunity for Indian researchers to make important contributions to the
field
In 1905, Mary Whiton Calkins was elected as the first female president of the APA,
and by 1946, nearly one-quarter of American psychologists were female.
Psychology became a popular degree option for students enrolled in the nation’s
historically Black higher education institutions, increasing the number of Black
Americans who went on to become psychologists.
The Process of Scientific Research
The scientific process is circular, the different types of reasoning within the circle are
called deductive and inductive.
- In deductive reasoning, ideas are tested in the real world; in inductive reasoning,
real-world observations lead to new ideas
