Application of science to psychology

The goals of psychological studies are to describe, explain, predict and perhaps influence mental processes or behaviours. In order to do this, psychologists utilize the scientific method to conduct psychological research. The scientific method is a standardized way of making observations, gathering data, forming theories, testing predictions and interpreting results.
Knowledge can be acquired through induction or deduction. Induction involves reasoning from the particular to the general. E.g. Scientists may observe instances of a natural phenomenon and derive a general law (inductive). Newton’s Laws are an example of this as he produced laws that made sense of what he observed (observing behaviour of physical objects). Deduction involved reasoning from the general to the particular, starting with a theory and looking for instances to confirm this (deduction).
Scientific knowledge and research aims to meet certain criteria in order to be considered scientific such as being replicable, falsifiable, objective and empirical methods.
A good theory or hypothesis also must be falsifiable, which means that it must be stated in a way that makes it possible to reject it. This means that a theory or hypothesis has to be able to be proved wrong. Falsifiability must exist because all researchers can succumb to the confirmation bias. Researchers who display confirmation bias look for and accept evidence that supports what they want to believe and ignore or reject evidence that disproves their beliefs. This links in with keeping objectivity present. Researchers should remain totally value free when studying; they should try to remain totally unbiased in their investigations and not be influenced by personal feelings and experiences for example. Objectivity means that all sources of bias are minimised and that personal or subjective ideas are eliminated.