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Psy/315 Week 1 Research Essay Example

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Psy/315 Week 1 Research Essay Example
Research, Statistics, and Psychology paper
June 25, 2012
Statistical Reasoning in Psychology
Deborah Suzzane

Research, Statistics, and Psychology paper Research is an important part in the field of psychology. It is used to establish facts and is defined as an organized and systematic way to find answers to questions (Henrichsen, Smith, & Baker, 1997). There are four main goals of research in psychology: Describe, predict, explain, and apply. Researchers use the scientific method to meet these goals. The scientific method is described as a process involving fives steps to conduct research: Step one- Determine a problem or make an observation. Second step- Development of the hypothesis. Third step- Testing the hypothesis. Fourth step- Recording the observations. Fifth step- Draw a conclusion(s) (Cowens, 2006). According to Kampis and Karsai (2010), the scientific method can best be learned through research. In addition, to conduct thorough research related to behavior, the scientific method should be followed. The scientific method involves five steps. The primary function of the scientific method begins with an observation. Through an observation, whether individual or group study, a hypothesis is developed. To validate a hypothesis, experimentation must be conducted and recorded. Experimentation is used to gather statistical data to use interpret the results of an experiment to support the hypothesis. The application of the scientific method uses mathematics and inquiry-based learning to the application of psychology as a science (Kampis & Karsai, 2010). Statistics is a branch of mathematics that focuses on the organization, analysis, and interpretation of a group of numbers

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