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Lesson 2 Scientific Method
Lesson 2 Scientific Method
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• The basic steps of the scientific method are: 1) make an observation that describes
a problem, 2) create a hypothesis, 3) test the hypothesis, and 4) draw conclusions and
refine the hypothesis.
The major precepts of the scientific method employed by all scientific disciplines are
verifiability, predictability, falsifiability, and fairness.
The application of the scientific theory to psychology took the discipline from a form
of philosophy to a form of science.
Critical thinking is a key component of the scientific method. Without it, you cannot
use logic to come to conclusions.
•Verifiability means that an experiment must be replicable by another
researcher. To achieve verifiability, researchers must make sure to
document their methods and clearly explain how their experiment is
structured and why it produces certain results.
•Predictability in a scientific theory implies that the theory should
enable us to make predictions about future events. The precision of these
predictions is a measure of the strength of the theory.
• Falsifiability refers to whether a hypothesis can disproved. For a hypothesis to be
falsifiable, it must be logically possible to make an observation or do a physical
experiment that would show that there is no support for the hypothesis. Even when a
hypothesis cannot be shown to be false, that does not necessarily mean it is not valid.
Future testing may disprove the hypothesis. This does not mean that a hypothesis has to
be shown to be false, just that it can be tested.
• The Basic Principles of the Scientific Method
Two key concepts in the scientific approach are theory and hypothesis. A
theory is used to make predictions about future observations. A hypothesis is
a testable prediction that is arrived at logically from a theory.
Observation is something we often do instinctively. Observation helps us decide
whether it’s safe to cross the road and helps to determine if cupcakes are ready
to come out of the oven. Observation is more than simply noticing something. It
involves perception (becoming aware of something by means of the senses) and
the recognition of the subject’s importance or significance. Standing on a
roadside, our eyes tell us cars are quickly approaching. Prior knowledge warns
us that stepping in front of a car is dangerous, so we wait until the road is clear.
• Observed Naturally
• When a scientist sets out to prove something using the scientific method, he must
first observe something in the natural world. For instance, Sir Isaac Newton theorized
that there was a force called gravity after he watched an apple fall from a tree. This
would be a natural observation. Newton saw something happen in nature without any
intervention on his part or the part of anyone else. This type of observation means the
scientist will watch and wait for the event to happen during an experiment.
• Staged Observation
• If Isaac Newton had come up with his theory of gravity after dropping an apple from a balcony,
his observation would be characterized as staged. Many experiments begin with a scientist thinking
“what if” -- e.g., “What if I drop this apple from a balcony? What will happen?” In this form of
observation the scientist creates a hypothetical theory from thinking about something in nature,
intervening in nature and observing the event. This type of observation generally dictates that the
experimentation that comes from the observation will have to be recreated.
• Quantitative Observation
• Quantitative observation is an objective collection of data which is primarily focused on numbers and
values – it suggests “associated to, of or depicted in terms of a quantity”. Results of quantitative
observation are derived using statistical and numerical analysis methods. www.questionpro.com
• It is the type of observation that deals in quantifiable variables, things that you can use numbers to
express. Sciencetrends.com
• In the scientific method, after a scientist comes up with a theory based on an observation of something
in nature, she starts an experiment. Once the experiment is underway, it must be observed. The scientist
records the observations of the experiment and collects data. One form of data collection during the method
is quantitative. This form of observation during an experiment employs mathematical models and relies on
the scientist to collect information based on numbers, such as how many apples fell from a tree or balcony.
Quantitative observation is common in physics, biology and the natural sciences.
• Qualitative Observation
•Qualitative observation deals with data that can be observed with our
senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. They do not involve
measurements or numbers. For instance, colors, shapes, and textures of
objects are all qualitative observations.
Examples of Qualitative Observations
Use your senses to list some qualitative observations. You can say that the
twigs are angled and a bit twisted. The leaves are green and have pointed
tips. The fruit is orange in color and somewhat oval. All these are qualitative
observations using our sight.