Research Report: Scientific Methodology, Psychology Approaches, Ethics

This report provides a comprehensive overview of scientific methodology in psychology, detailing the steps involved and its significance. It explores two key research methods: laboratory experiments and observation, outlining their advantages and disadvantages. The report further examines two prominent approaches in psychology: the biological approach and the behavioral approach, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, it addresses the ethical considerations crucial in psychological research, including informed consent, protection of participants, confidentiality, debriefing, deception, and withdrawal rights. The report synthesizes various sources to offer a well-rounded understanding of these fundamental aspects of psychological research.

PSYCH
OLOGY

Table of Contents
Scientific Methodology...............................................................................................................3
Two scientific research methods.................................................................................................3
Two Approaches of Psychology.................................................................................................5
Ethical issue of Psychological research .....................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

MAIN BODY
Scientific Methodology
Scientific Methodology is generally
define as method of investigating which will
be involve observing and theory to test the
scientific Hypotheses. Scientific
Methodology is generally a procedure which
used to characterized natural science since
17 century. These methodology generally
consider or focused on systematic
observation, measurement and experiment
and formulation, testing and modification of
hypotheses (Gutting, 2017). Scientific
Methodology is generally regarded as a
process based methodology, there are 5
basic steps in scientific methodology plus
one Feedback step in methodology, all the 6
steps of scientific methodology is as
follows:
Make an observation: It is the first
step under which the observation will be
done, outcome of the observation will be
regarded as a basis on which scientific study
will be conducted in a way that issue can be
understand by the investigator (Lauer,
2019).
Ask a question: It is second stage in
which the investigator itself will be asking
the question on the basis of the outcome of
the observation.
Propose a Hypothesis: It is next
stage in scientific methodology, under this
stage investigator looks at different
hypotheses and on the basis of the same will
derive the best hypotheses which can be
applied as a result of the observation and
question of methodology.
Make a prediction: It is a next stage
of the process in which prediction is
generally made in regards of the hypothesis
which company is desiring to see by
applying the selected Hypotheses in the
organization (Hansson, 2019).
Test the prediction: it is the next
stage in scientific methodology in which
hypotheses is generally tested to perform the
different experiment which is associated
with the prediction.
Iterate: It is the last stage in
scientific methodology, on these stage
organizations used to reflect on the results

which had been derived and use the same
result as a guide other results in the future.
Two scientific research methods
In the field of scientific research, it had been
identified that there are more that one type
of research methods which are used by the
psychologists. This research method
generally used to help psychologists in
improving the efficiency of result which had
been derived with the help of research
(Gonçalves and et.al., 2020). Two such type
of research Method are as follows:
Laboratory experiment: Laboratory
experiment is generally conducted under
highly controlled condition, where accurate
measurement is possible. Laboratory
experiment generally allows the researcher
to isolate variables. This help in exactly
measure effect of one thing on another. For
example: To check the blood group of
individual lab experiment is generally done
by the hospital. Advantage and
Disadvantage of Laboratory experiment is as
follows:
Advantage
 Replicable: It has been identified
that this type of experiment which
are generally performed in the
organization are very easier to
replicate reason identified behind the
same is that in the Laboratory
experiment standardized process is
generally used by different
organization.
 Controllable: Laboratory
experiment at the same time in the
research generally used to allow
precise amount of control of
extraneous and independent
variables in general. This help in
establishing the cause and effect
relationship in the research as well.
Disadvantage
 Behaviour change: Under
Laboratory Experiment Demand
characterized participant generally
used to change the behaviour of the
research.
 Non flexible: It is another
disadvantage of this type of research,
it had been identified that laboratory
experiment is that it is non flexible

as it used to have low level of
ecological validity and take time to
generalize to other situations.
Observation: It is another research method
which is generally used under the scientific
research methodology. Observation is
generally regarded as an activity or the
process in which individual generally used
to observe and monitor something to find
out the hypotheses (Bizzego and et.al.,
2019). In simple words it can be said that
observation is nothing more than statement
based on something one has seen, heard or
notice. Example: To evaluate the movement
or growth of flower reproduction,
observation is generally done of flower.
Advantage and disadvantages of
Observation method of research is as
follows:
Advantage
 Cost effective: Biggest advantage of
this form of the research is that, this
research method is generally cost
effective in nature. It generally used
to ask less amount of the cost to
carry out the outcome of the
research.
 Deep understanding: Observation
form of research generally help the
researcher in having deep
understanding of the research as
behaviour change are very easy to
understand.
Disadvantage
 Time consuming: This form of
research method is generally a high
time consuming method and may
involve large amount of inactivity.
 Non ethical: This form of the
research is also regarded as a non-
ethical form of the research method
to be conducted.
Two Approaches of Psychology
Biological Approach is generally believing
that all of us are generally consequences of
our genetic and physiology. This type of the
approach generally used to examine
thoughts, feeling and behaviour (Broyles,
Robinson and Daniels, 2018). Main focus of
biological research approach is relationship
between psychological process and
underlying physiological, genetic and
molecular.
Strength
This approach in generally used to
provide the clear prediction and this
approach generally used to provide the
reliable and practical outcome. Also it helps
in yielding out different psychological
disorders.
Weakness

Biggest weakness of this approach is
identified that it generally used to fails in
accounting for other influences on
behaviour. This approach is generally
regarded as a nomothetic research approach
as well.
Looking at the aspect of Biological approach
it had been analysed that it generally used to
showcase the thoughts, feeling and
behaviour of Human in the form of the
emotions and relationships in general.
Behavioural approach is generally
regarded as a approach which generally
emphasis on the scientific study of
observable behaviour approaches.
Behavioural approach suggest that key point
of the development are observable
behaviour and external stimuli of the
environment. This approach generally
focused on the learning and conditioned
respond to the events. For example Positive
reinforcement, punishment, token economy
and self-management are some of the
example of Behavioural approach.
Strength and weakness of Behavioural
Approach
Strength
Biggest strength of Behavioural
approach of physiology is that it generally
used to get it very easy to clearly observe
and measure the behaviour. This sort of
behaviour is generally based on the
observable behaviour, so it generally used to
get very easy at the time of collecting
different data to conduct the study
(Cammaerts, 2020).
Weakness
Biggest weakness of Behavioural
approach is that this type of approach is
processed and time bound. This eventually
consume good amount of time to determine
the outcome of the research. Another
weakness which had been identified is in
regards of understanding the behavioural
issue. It had been analysed that it
Behavioural approach is consider to be
Innoral in nature.
Behavioural approach generally used to
express the relationship and stereotype
behaviour of Human, reason behind the
same is that it used to understand the
behaviour of the customer in the better way.

Ethical issue of Psychological research
There are six different type of the ethical
issue which is raised by the physiologist in
the past. All the six type of ethical issue is as
follows:
 Informed consent: It is the first
issue which generally arises when
participant are not informed of their
participation. This issue pass on the
information that participant should
be aware about their participant.
They should be properly informed
about what they are really agreeing
to.
 Debrief: It is another sort of ethical
issue which might be faced by the
researcher, researcher generally has
to make sure that they are briefing
participant about the purpose of
investigation and also they should be
clear about their role in the research
(Bennett and et.al., 2016).
 Protection of participant:
Researcher in the study has to make
sure that they generally used to
consider the protection of the
participant at top most priority.
Researcher had to make sure that
participant who are taking part in
survey will not be caused with any
sort of distress.
 Deception: It is another sort of
ethical consideration which has to be
seen by the researcher. Researcher
had to make it sure that participant
who is taking part in the research had
been not deceived in regards to the
aim and objective of the research.
 Confidentiality: Researcher also had
to make sure that all the data or the
information which has been collected
from the participant side is
safeguarded in the research. As
researcher has to make sure that no
data about the participant is
disclosed to anyone.
 Withdrawal from an investigation:
Scholar also has to make sure that all
the individual who are taking part in
the research are always given the
alternative of withdrawing
themselves from the research at their
choice.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Gutting, G., 2017. Scientific methodology. A
Companion to the Philosophy of
Science, pp.423-432.
Lauer, R., 2019. Is Social Ontology Prior to
Social Scientific
Methodology?. Philosophy of the
Social Sciences. 49(3). pp.171-
189.
Hansson, S. O., 2019. Farmers’ experiments
and scientific
methodology. European Journal
for Philosophy of Science. 9(3).
p.32.
Gonçalves, M and et.al., 2020. PROBLEMS
OF SCIENTIFIC
METHODOLOGY RELATED
TO PLACEBO CONTROL IN
QIGONG STUDIES: A
SYSTEMATIC
REVIEW. Journal of Bodywork
and Movement Therapies.
Bizzego, A and et.al., 2019. pyphysio: A
physiological signal processing
library for data science approaches
in physiology. SoftwareX, 10,
p.100287.
Broyles, C. N., Robinson, P. and Daniels,
M. J., 2018. Fluorescent,
bioluminescent, and optogenetic
approaches to study excitable physiology in the single cardiomyocyte. Cells, 7(6), p.51.
Cammaerts, M. C., 2020. Invertebrates should be given ethical consideration. Animal
Sentience. 5(29). p.6.
Bennett, R. H and et.al., 2016. Ethical considerations for field research on fishes. Koedoe, 58(1),
pp.1-15.