Introduction to Psychology 1/IPSY101/Scientific thinking/Overview

In this learning pathway you will be introduced to the foundations of scientific thinking and its application to psychological research. As you learn about the different methods of conducting research in psychology consider their relative strengths and weaknesses and how the "best" research method will usually vary according to the research question.

Orientation

Rajiv Jhangiani provides a brief orientation to this learning pathway on scientific thinking.

Video signpost: Scientific Thinking

Objectives

By the end of this learning pathway you should be able to:

• Explain how the scientific approach can address questions about behaviour
• Diagram the scientific method
• Define the term scientific hypothesis and explain why they need to be falsifiable
• Explain how scientific research can guide both public policy and personal decisions
• Describe the different research methods used by psychologists
• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of case studies, naturalistic observation, surveys, and archival research
• Compare longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches to research