The Scientific Process - Summary Sheet
1. Science is About Establishing Truths
Research should be objective (free from opinions).
Methods should be empirical (based on data, not theory).
Experiments should collect quantitative data and have control variables.
Research should be replicable, establishing cause and effect.
2. The Scientific Process – How Science Works
1. Ask a Question – Based on observations.
2. Suggest a Theory – A possible explanation.
3. Make a Prediction (Hypothesis) – A testable statement.
4. Test the Hypothesis – Experiments provide evidence to support or disprove it.
If a theory cannot be tested, it is not scientific.
3. Science is About Testing Theories
One experiment backs up a theory → Scientists repeat tests → Theory is taught.
Peer Review ensures accuracy before research is published in journals.
o Experts review work to maintain scientific integrity.
o Helps validate findings, but mistakes can still happen.
Other scientists replicate results and test new predictions.
If all experiments support the theory → Recognized as scientific fact.
If new evidence conflicts, the theory is questioned and retested.
4. Popper’s Falsifiability Principle (1969)
Theories cannot be proven right, only falsified.
A theory is scientific if it can be proven wrong.
Example: Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory is not scientific (unfalsifiable).
5. Theories Are Continuously Tested
Current accepted theories survive testing but are never indisputable facts.
Scientific advancements can lead to new testing and changes.
6. Science Uses Paradigms (Kuhn, 1970)
Paradigm: A set of principles, methods, and techniques that define science.
Kuhn argued that psychology lacks a single paradigm, making it a pre-science.
Some believe psychology has undergone paradigm shifts (e.g., from behaviorism to
cognitive psychology).
7. Psychology’s Impact on the Economy
Mental Health Research:
o Untreated mental illnesses lead to more time off work.
o Treatments (CBT, antidepressants) help people stay employed → Better economy.
Sleep Research (Czeisler et al., 1982):
o Studied factory workers with poor shift schedules.
o Recommended rotating shifts every 21 days and using phase delay (shifting later).
o Results: Increased productivity & job satisfaction → Better economy.
1. Science is About Establishing Truths
Research should be objective (free from opinions).
Methods should be empirical (based on data, not theory).
Experiments should collect quantitative data and have control variables.
Research should be replicable, establishing cause and effect.
2. The Scientific Process – How Science Works
1. Ask a Question – Based on observations.
2. Suggest a Theory – A possible explanation.
3. Make a Prediction (Hypothesis) – A testable statement.
4. Test the Hypothesis – Experiments provide evidence to support or disprove it.
If a theory cannot be tested, it is not scientific.
3. Science is About Testing Theories
One experiment backs up a theory → Scientists repeat tests → Theory is taught.
Peer Review ensures accuracy before research is published in journals.
o Experts review work to maintain scientific integrity.
o Helps validate findings, but mistakes can still happen.
Other scientists replicate results and test new predictions.
If all experiments support the theory → Recognized as scientific fact.
If new evidence conflicts, the theory is questioned and retested.
4. Popper’s Falsifiability Principle (1969)
Theories cannot be proven right, only falsified.
A theory is scientific if it can be proven wrong.
Example: Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory is not scientific (unfalsifiable).
5. Theories Are Continuously Tested
Current accepted theories survive testing but are never indisputable facts.
Scientific advancements can lead to new testing and changes.
6. Science Uses Paradigms (Kuhn, 1970)
Paradigm: A set of principles, methods, and techniques that define science.
Kuhn argued that psychology lacks a single paradigm, making it a pre-science.
Some believe psychology has undergone paradigm shifts (e.g., from behaviorism to
cognitive psychology).
7. Psychology’s Impact on the Economy
Mental Health Research:
o Untreated mental illnesses lead to more time off work.
o Treatments (CBT, antidepressants) help people stay employed → Better economy.
Sleep Research (Czeisler et al., 1982):
o Studied factory workers with poor shift schedules.
o Recommended rotating shifts every 21 days and using phase delay (shifting later).
o Results: Increased productivity & job satisfaction → Better economy.
