All of the following are reasons that psychologists use a systematic method to conduct research except __________.
A psychologist whose goal is to explain a behavior will __________.
Explain the difference between descriptive and experimental research.
Descriptive research observes and records behavior as it naturally occurs, without manipulating variables. Experimental research manipulates an independent variable under controlled conditions and measures its effect on a dependent variable. This allows researchers to test hypotheses about cause and effect.
Which of the following statements is a prediction?
Which of the following statements is an observation?
If psychologists are making suggestions for how to change behavior, then they are demonstrating which goal of psychology?
Explain two reasons why psychologists use a systematic method for collecting and analyzing research data.
Psychologists use a systematic method to minimize bias and subjectivity, so findings are based on evidence rather than personal expectations. It also makes research procedures consistent and repeatable, allowing other researchers to check or replicate the results.
List and briefly describe the steps of the scientific method.
1. Identify a research question or problem. 2. Review relevant information and form a testable hypothesis. 3. Design a study and collect data. 4. Analyze the data. 5. Draw conclusions about whether the evidence supports the hypothesis. 6. Report the findings; revise the hypothesis or conduct further research as needed.
Describe what it means when psychologists state that scientific theories must be supported by empirical evidence.
It means a theory must be supported by evidence gathered through systematic observation or measurement, such as data from research studies. The evidence must be observable and available for evaluation, rather than relying only on opinion or speculation.
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