Psychology as a Science

• Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes
• Focuses on how people think, feel, behave, and develop
• Aims to understand behaviour in order to improve quality of life
• Uses systematic methods rather than intuition or anecdotal evidence

Why Research Is Essential in Psychology

• Psychological knowledge is created through research
• Research allows psychologists to move from questions to evidence-based conclusions
• Knowledge pathway:
  • Questions → Research → Evidence → Knowledge
• Without research, psychological theories and treatments cannot be validated

Scientist–Practitioner Model

• Psychology integrates research and professional practice
• Psychologists must:
  • Understand scientific research
  • Critically evaluate findings
  • Apply evidence to real-world practice
• Research must be practically useful
• Psychological practice must be scientifically grounded

Psychology as a Scientific Discipline

• Science provides a structured framework for studying behaviour
• Formal research methods reduce bias and error
• Everyday observation is unreliable and subjective
• Scientific research allows findings to be tested and replicated

The Scientific Method

• Systematic process used to investigate psychological questions
• Key steps:
  • Observe behaviour and review existing literature
  • Develop theories
  • Form testable hypotheses
  • Design and conduct studies
  • Analyse data
  • Draw conclusions
• Allows knowledge to build and improve over time

Psychological Questions Answered by Research

• Effectiveness of therapies and interventions
• Causes and risk factors for mental health disorders
• Influence of development, learning, and social factors
• Impact of policies, programs, and campaigns
• Relationships between psychological variables

Why Statistics Are Necessary

• Psychology usually studies groups, not individuals
• People vary widely in behaviour and experiences
• Entire populations cannot be measured
• Statistics allow researchers to:
  • Summarise large datasets
  • Identify patterns and trends
  • Compare groups
  • Make inferences about populations

Quantitative Research in Psychology

• Uses numerical data to study behaviour
• Allows objective measurement of psychological constructs
• Helps determine whether observed effects are meaningful
• Reduces reliance on subjective judgement

Example: Testing Therapy Effectiveness

• Research question: Is a specific therapy effective?
• Study design:
  • Treatment group vs control group
  • Pre- and post-intervention measurement
• Statistics used to:
  • Compare group outcomes
  • Evaluate size and reliability of effects
  • Estimate generalisability to the wider population

Role of Statistics in Inference

• Statistical analysis helps determine:
  • Whether effects are likely due to chance
  • How confident researchers can be in their conclusions
• Enables generalisation from samples to populations

Critical Thinking in Psychology

• Ability to evaluate claims using evidence and logic
• Involves:
  • Questioning bold or absolute claims
  • Identifying misleading statistics
  • Recognising cherry-picked or biased data
  • Evaluating research quality

Research, Statistics, and Misinformation

• Statistics are often misused in media, marketing, and politics
• Psychological training develops:
  • Scientific scepticism
  • Data literacy
  • Resistance to pseudoscience
• Critical thinking is essential for ethical practice and informed decision-making

So overall…

• Research methods and statistics are foundational to psychology
• They allow psychologists to:
  • Generate reliable knowledge
  • Test theories and treatments
  • Apply evidence ethically
  • Think critically in real-world contexts
• Psychology cannot function as a science without them