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Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of the hypothesis in the scientific method?
What is the primary purpose of the hypothesis in the scientific method?
Which step of the scientific method involves reviewing previously published studies?
Which step of the scientific method involves reviewing previously published studies?
Which of the following is an example of a method to gather evidence?
Which of the following is an example of a method to gather evidence?
Why is it important to publish results in a scientific context?
Why is it important to publish results in a scientific context?
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What does building a theory entail in the scientific method?
What does building a theory entail in the scientific method?
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Study Notes
Scientific Method in Psychology
- The scientific method is a way to achieve goals in psychology
- It's a form of critical thinking based on evidence, accurate measurements, clear definitions, controlled observations and repeatable results
Six Steps of the Scientific Method
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Step 1: Examine past research
- Review previous studies
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Step 2: Define the question
- Example: "Will people lose weight if they exercise more than 5 hours a week?"
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Step 3: Propose a hypothesis
- A predicted outcome of an experiment or educated guess
- Example: "People who exercise more than 5 hours a week will lose more weight than people who do not exercise"
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Step 4: Gather evidence/Test hypothesis
- Collect data to test the hypothesis
- Ways to collect data: observations, surveys, reviewing medical records
- Ethical considerations for data collection on children, adults with dementia, etc. Institutional review boards (IRBs) are used to ensure ethical guidelines in universities and psychology departments
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Step 5: Build a theory
- Theory is a comprehensive explanation of observable events
- Summarize observations and explain them
- Predict future outcomes and guide further research
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Step 6: Publish results
- Scientific information must be publicly available
- Publish in professional journals
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Description
Explore the scientific method as it applies to psychology through a detailed examination of its six steps. Learn how to formulate research questions, propose hypotheses, and gather evidence while considering ethical standards. This quiz will enhance your understanding of empirical research in behavioral sciences.
