Chapter 2
Psychology as a Science
● Psychologists assume that behaviour is governed by distinct laws or principles.
Goals of a Scientific approach
● Psychologists share 3 sets of Interrelated goals:
○ Measurement and description.
○ Understanding and prediction.
○ Application and control.
Measurement and description
● Commitment to observation requires that an investigator finds a way to measure
the phenomenon under study.
○ Psychologists can't investigate whether a man is more or less sociable
than a woman without first developing some means of measuring
sociability.
● The first goal in psychology is to develop measurement techniques that make it
possible to describe behaviour clearly and precisely.
,Understanding and Prediction
● Comprehension is a higher-level goal of science.
● Scientists believe that they understand events when they can explain the
reasons for the occurrence of the events.
○ In order to evaluate understanding, test predictions called hypotheses
must be made.
● Hypothesis: A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more
variables.
● Variables: Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics or behaviours that
are controlled or observed in a study.
Eg. If we hypothesised that putting people under time pressure would lower
the accuracy of their time perception, the variables in our study would be time
pressure and accuracy of time perception.
Application and Control
● Once people understand a phenomenon, they often exercise more control over
it.
● Psychology attempts to apply research findings to practical problems in schools,
businesses, factories and healthcare facilities.
Eg. A school psychologist might use findings about the causes of maths anxiety
to devise a programme to help students control their maths phobias.
● Psychologists do not set out just to collect isolated facts about the relationships
between variables.
○ To build toward a better understanding of behaviour, they construct
theories.
● A theory: A system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations.
Eg. Using a handful of concepts such as natural selection and reproductive
fitness, evolutionary theorists in psychology attempt to explain a diverse range
, of known facts about mating preferences, jealousy, aggression, sexual
behaviour and so forth. So, by integrating apparently unrelated facts and
principles into a coherent whole, theories permit psychologists to make the
leap from the description of behaviour to the understanding of behaviour.
● A scientific theory must be testable.
● The foundation of science is its commitment to putting ideas to an empirical test.
○ Most theories are too complex to be tested all at once.
● Research methods are the most important part of the social sciences, as they
explain how intellectual functioning can be enriched.
A Scientific approach
● The aim of the scientific method is to make observations of phenomena of
special interest in order to collect data and improve the quality of human lives.
● Scientists observe nature in a systematic way and follow the rules of evidence.
● Psychology is empirical, as it uses direct observation rather than pure intuition or
reasoning as a means of gathering knowledge about behaviour.
○ Psychology is the study of behaviour and the factors that influence it.
● 4 Goals of psychologists as scientists:
○ Describe how people and animals behave.
○ Understand and explain the causes of these behaviours.
○ To predict how people and animals will behave under certain conditions.
○ To control behaviour through knowledge and control of its causes.
● Neuroscientists produce brain lesions in an animal’s brain in order to make
reference about the functions of the damaged region from changes in the
animal's behaviour.
, Steps in a Scientific investigation
Step 1: Identify a Problem (Problem statement)
● Without a statement of problem, the scientists can rarely go further and expect
to be fruitful.
● The problem statement is presented in the introduction section of a research
report.
Step 2: State the Rationale
● It is important to provide motivation on why the problem is worthy of
investigation.
● Through the rationale, the researcher justifies why and how the study could
advance knowledge.
Step 3: Develop a Research question
● A research question seeks to answer and address the problem that was
identified.
● It is narrowed down to be as brief and clear as possible. (Focuses on the purpose
of the study).
Psychology as a Science
● Psychologists assume that behaviour is governed by distinct laws or principles.
Goals of a Scientific approach
● Psychologists share 3 sets of Interrelated goals:
○ Measurement and description.
○ Understanding and prediction.
○ Application and control.
Measurement and description
● Commitment to observation requires that an investigator finds a way to measure
the phenomenon under study.
○ Psychologists can't investigate whether a man is more or less sociable
than a woman without first developing some means of measuring
sociability.
● The first goal in psychology is to develop measurement techniques that make it
possible to describe behaviour clearly and precisely.
,Understanding and Prediction
● Comprehension is a higher-level goal of science.
● Scientists believe that they understand events when they can explain the
reasons for the occurrence of the events.
○ In order to evaluate understanding, test predictions called hypotheses
must be made.
● Hypothesis: A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more
variables.
● Variables: Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics or behaviours that
are controlled or observed in a study.
Eg. If we hypothesised that putting people under time pressure would lower
the accuracy of their time perception, the variables in our study would be time
pressure and accuracy of time perception.
Application and Control
● Once people understand a phenomenon, they often exercise more control over
it.
● Psychology attempts to apply research findings to practical problems in schools,
businesses, factories and healthcare facilities.
Eg. A school psychologist might use findings about the causes of maths anxiety
to devise a programme to help students control their maths phobias.
● Psychologists do not set out just to collect isolated facts about the relationships
between variables.
○ To build toward a better understanding of behaviour, they construct
theories.
● A theory: A system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations.
Eg. Using a handful of concepts such as natural selection and reproductive
fitness, evolutionary theorists in psychology attempt to explain a diverse range
, of known facts about mating preferences, jealousy, aggression, sexual
behaviour and so forth. So, by integrating apparently unrelated facts and
principles into a coherent whole, theories permit psychologists to make the
leap from the description of behaviour to the understanding of behaviour.
● A scientific theory must be testable.
● The foundation of science is its commitment to putting ideas to an empirical test.
○ Most theories are too complex to be tested all at once.
● Research methods are the most important part of the social sciences, as they
explain how intellectual functioning can be enriched.
A Scientific approach
● The aim of the scientific method is to make observations of phenomena of
special interest in order to collect data and improve the quality of human lives.
● Scientists observe nature in a systematic way and follow the rules of evidence.
● Psychology is empirical, as it uses direct observation rather than pure intuition or
reasoning as a means of gathering knowledge about behaviour.
○ Psychology is the study of behaviour and the factors that influence it.
● 4 Goals of psychologists as scientists:
○ Describe how people and animals behave.
○ Understand and explain the causes of these behaviours.
○ To predict how people and animals will behave under certain conditions.
○ To control behaviour through knowledge and control of its causes.
● Neuroscientists produce brain lesions in an animal’s brain in order to make
reference about the functions of the damaged region from changes in the
animal's behaviour.
, Steps in a Scientific investigation
Step 1: Identify a Problem (Problem statement)
● Without a statement of problem, the scientists can rarely go further and expect
to be fruitful.
● The problem statement is presented in the introduction section of a research
report.
Step 2: State the Rationale
● It is important to provide motivation on why the problem is worthy of
investigation.
● Through the rationale, the researcher justifies why and how the study could
advance knowledge.
Step 3: Develop a Research question
● A research question seeks to answer and address the problem that was
identified.
● It is narrowed down to be as brief and clear as possible. (Focuses on the purpose
of the study).
