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2.1 Why is Research Important

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Use of Research Information

  • Determining which theories are accepted or not can be difficult.
    • Contradicting studies are a sign that researchers are in the process of reaching a consensus or an agreement which is true or false
    • Until sufficient research has been conducted, there will be no clear consensus if a particular theory is accepted or not.
  • When someone makes a claim, we exercise a degree of skepticism by:
    • determining the expertise of the person making the claim,
    • what might they gain if their claim is valid,
    • does the claim seem justified given the evidence provided,
    • what do other researchers think of the claim?
  • Research makes the difference between facts and opinions, observable realities between personal judgements
  • Research may also benefit the common individual in making decisions in their lives.

Notable Researchers

  • Margaret Floy Washburn (1871-1939)
    • first woman to earn a PhD in psychology
    • her research was focused on animal behavior and cognition
  • Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930)
    • an American psychologist who opposed the behaviorist movement
    • conducted research on memory
    • established one of the earliest experimental psychology labs in the US.
    • became the president of the APA by 1905
  • Francis Sumner (1895-1954)
    • first African-American to receive a PhD in psychology.
    • his dissertation is focused on issues in psychoanalysis
    • had research in racial bias and educational justice
    • founder of Howard University’s department of psychology
    • referred to as the “Father of Black Psychology”
  • Inez Beverly Prosser (1895-1934)
    • first African-American woman to receive a PhD in psychology
    • her research highlighted issues related to education in segregated and integrated schools
      • was very influential in the hallmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling
      • it states that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional.
  • Although roots of psychology originated in Europe and in the States, it did not take long for researchers around the world to establish their own laboratories and research programs.

The Process of Scientific Research

  • Scientific knowledge is advanced through a process known as the scientific method.

  • The scientific method can be broken down into two processes:

    • Deductive Reasoning: Ideas (such as theories/hypotheses) are tested in the real world, forming empirical observations
      • It begins from a generalization (a hypothesis) that is used to find logical conclusions about the real world.
      • The hypothesis is correct if the logical conclusions found through deductive reasoning are also correct.
    • Inductive Reasoning: Empirical observations lead to more ideas that are tested against the real world.
      • It begins by using empirical observations to create broad generalizations of real world phenomena.

  • Scientific Theory

    • a well-developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena

  • Hypothesis

    • a testable prediction formed from an aspect of a theory about how the world will behave if an idea is correct
    • testing hypotheses can either:
      • confirm the theory, proving its credibility in that particular aspect
      • modify the theory, making it more refined to reflect the results of the tests

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