PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• To understand what is meant by science and how it differs from other methods and knowledge.

•To recognise different types of data.

NATURE OF SCIENCE

Science means knowledge but not all knowledge is scientificIt is systematic knowledge that covers general truths, general principles and laws.It also refers to a system of obtaining knowledgeObjectivity is the key feature –knowledge that can be verified by measurements – empiricismThis makes it replicableAnother key feature is that it is rational

CHARACTERISTICS

• Science is empirically based not intuitive• Information is collected in a controlled

systematic way• Reporting is unbiased and objective• Ideas/hypotheses can be tested and are

falsifiable• It is not common sense, belief based or

pseudoscience – these can all be based on little or no evidence

TYPES OF DATA

• Nominal Data – involves counting of frequency data• Ordinal Data – involves the rank

–ordering of data