...Research, Statistics, and Psychology To understand thoroughly something a person must understand its background and conduct research. According to Bing Dictionary (2012), research is an organized way to study something; that can include an investigation to uncover facts, to create a theory or correct a previous one, or to make a plan based upon the discovered facts. A person cannot conduct or make connections in research without the use of statistics. Statistics can be just about any compilation of information on any subject in use with performance, time management, effectiveness, budgeting, and many more. Both research and statistics are important components in psychology. This paper will discuss the role of research and statistics within psychology. Examining what research and the scientific method are, comparing and contrasting the characteristics of primary and secondary data, and explaining the role of statistics within research. Role of Research and Statistics Research is a vital component in just about any field for advancement of a product or idea, especially in psychology. As stated above research is an organized way to study something. Because psychology is a field that tries to understand human thinking and behavior it is necessary that research be a vital component. Research is important to psychology because it provides pertinent information about the way a person may think or behave and forming an idea or opinion as a response from the conducted research. A...
Words: 1053 - Pages: 5
...Research, Statistics, and Psychology There are different forms involved in the study of psychology. Whether in the field of psychology or any academic field, research is necessary to further society from what it is now into what it will become in the future. Research means expanding current knowledge without progressing, stagnation occurs. Research and statistics are unique tools in psychology because the information is part of the methodology of psychology. In the field of psychology, research is what makes it possible to better understand human behavior and gives the knowledge needed to help others. Research and statistics are tracking methods that must stay accurate. Research must be conducted with precision and accountability it is of utter importance, both ethically and morally or it can lead to disastrous results. The methods of primary, secondary data and the branches of statistical methods are key factors used in research. Research is an attempt to find information in a scientific manner (Word Net,2011). By using the scientific methods the results from the research are valid, reliable, and accurate. The scientific method is a process where secondary data is compiled, analyzed, hypothesized, and tested. Using this method decreases human error and subjective thinking from having a influence on the results and interpretations (Pervez & Gronhaug, 2005). While nothing is without fault by using the scientific method of hypothesizing and testing the hypothesis decreases the...
Words: 889 - Pages: 4
...Research, Statistics, and Psychology Psychology is the scientific investigation of mental processes and behavior (Kowalski & Westen, 2007, p. 3). During the late 19th century, psychology became an actual science because of the fascination of human behavior. Psychologists use observation to measure human behavior better to understand mental and biological processes, motives, and personality traits. Human behavior may be understood through applied and academic science (Psychology Majors, 2011). Based on this, research using the scientific method is necessary for statistical psychology. Early research and use of scientific method in psychology included the works of Edward Titchener. Titchener used structuralism to explore aspects of the mind. Research through this method focused on introspection, or individual conscious experience. Titchener used a table method similar to a chemistry periodic table to study human behavior. Titchener believed experimentation was the only scientific method to use for the study psychology (Northern Illinois University, 2003). A paradigm in psychology is a set of theoretical assertions that provide a model, abstract picture, or object of study (Kowalski & Westen, 2007, p. 11). A paradigm is a set of shared metaphors that compare any object of study through investigation. Many modern psychologists use innovative approaches to study human behavior to support traditional methods of psychology through use of research using the scientific method...
Words: 977 - Pages: 4
...Research, Statistics, and Psychology Paper Psychology uses statistics and research to validate or invalidate theories. Research is used to find answers to questions. The scientific method is important because it provides researchers with the steps they must take to find the answer they are looking for in a study. Statistics are used to prove or disprove theories or questions by using the collection of data and mathematics. Many types of research could be used to make the world a better or even healthier place and this is why statistics and research is important in all fields of study. Research is an important part in the field of psychology. It is used to establish facts rather than opinions. Research is defined as an organized and systematic way to find answers to questions (Henrichsen, Smith, & Baker, 1997). There are four main goals of research in psychology, these goals are describe, predict, explain, and apply. Researchers use the scientific method to meet these goals. The scientific method is described as a process involving fives steps to conduct research. The first step is to determine a problem or make an observation. The second step is the development of the hypothesis. Testing the hypothesis is the third step. Recording the observations is the fourth step. The final step is to draw a conclusion(s) (Cowens, 2006). The scientific method is used in all fields of research. Primary and secondary data is used in research to support a hypothesis. A research first focuses...
Words: 1057 - Pages: 5
...Research, Statistics, & Psychology Psy/315 January 9, 2012 Research, Statistics & Psychology The scientific, objective, and the methodic gathering of information for a theory is research. Statistics is collection of data, interpretation, the analysis, and presentation of the data. Statistical data is the important part to any good research. Psychology, statistics is the method of pursuing the truth (Aron, Aron, & Coup, 2009). The statistics methods is to make sense out of the large amount of data collected during research by psychologists. This paper will explore the role of research and statistics in psychology field. The paper will give the definition of the research and the scientific method, and the characteristics of the primary and secondary data that researcher use to help form an hypothesis. The paper will also explore the role of statistics in research. Research and Scientific Method Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines research has the, “studious inquiry or examination, especially: investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical...
Words: 945 - Pages: 4
...Research, Statistics, and Psychology Paper Monique Green PSY/315 March 12, 2012 Victoria Green Research, Statistics, and Psychology Paper Research basically means the gathering of information and facts for the advancement of knowledge and the gathering of data. When an individual reads a book that is a factual book or when an individual does research on the internet these are two types of research an individual can perform. When an individual conducts his or her research the individual has to be systematic when doing their research and he or she must follow a series of steps in order to obtain information that is accurate and true. When an individual is doing research it is important that the researcher make sure that the information collected is a confirm fact or facts. Research can appear to be actual facts and turn out to be actual lies. When doing research an individual has the establish that the information is actually facts, they have to reaffirm that the results of someone’s previous work, try and solve new or existing problems, support theorems, or develop their own new theories. A new research can also be an expansion to a previous research or work that was done. The main reason an individual does research is for documentation, discovery, interpretation, or for the development of different methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge. The scientific method basically is a set of principles and procedures that researchers use to collect data, develop...
Words: 915 - Pages: 4
...University of Phoenix Organizational Psychology By: Joselyne Guiguian University of Phoenix Organizational Psychology By: Joselyne Guiguian In today’s topic of organizational psychology, I’d be discussing a few things with you. First I’ll start off with defining organizational psychology, and then I’ll explain to you the role of research and statistics in organizational psychology. Last but not least I’ll describe how organizational psychology can be used in organizations. Organizational psychology is a field that utilizes scientific methodology to better understand the behavior of individuals working in organizational settings; to help organizations become more effective. Scientifically, organizational psychology is the study of individual and group behavior in formal and informal organizational settings. In organizational psychology, the study of the structure of an organization and of the ways in which the people in it interact, usually undertaken in order to improve the organization. The practice of organizational psychology consists of intervening with organizations to achieve one or more objectives: raise performance, improve processes and relationships, enhance fairness and equity, and increase subjective well-being. The essence of an organization is patterned by human behavior meaning that some structure is imposed on the behavior of individuals. Organization psychology has two different types of organizations; formal and informal. An organization...
Words: 837 - Pages: 4
... |PSY/315 Version 3 | | |Statistical Reasoning in Psychology | Copyright © 2012, 2010, 2006 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This is an introductory course in applied statistics, with particular emphasis in psychology. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are included. In addition, this course provides the basic statistical background and understanding needed. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Aron, A., Aron, E. N., & Coups, E. (2009). Statistics for psychology (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Note: All required tasks are highlighted with individual assignments...
Words: 1529 - Pages: 7
...Research, Statistics, and Psychology Mickey Leitch PSY/315 November 11, 2012 Heather Joppich Research, Statistics, and Psychology When we are trying to figure out how many people are suffering from a different type of disorder then research and statistics can be very helpful. In the field of Psychology it is important to do your research and record your statistics. We can do this in the way of scientific method. Scientific method is a systematic, step by step procedure psychologists use when conducting research (Haig, 2011). That sounds much like research. Research is the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. Looking at these two you can see how they are different but you have to have both in order to complete the research that you need to make your decision. In the rest of this paper you are also going to learn about primary and secondary research and then the discussion of the role of statistics in research. After this the understanding of how important research in psychology really is. When trying to figure out what type of research to use to get the best results you have to look at the primary and secondary research of psychology. When collecting data you have primary and secondary data. Primary is directly from the source, such as a person who witnessed the event or say a person did huge humanitarian efforts, you could ask them for facts. Secondary is anything that is a second hand...
Words: 815 - Pages: 4
...Week One: Introduction to Organizational Psychology Organizational Psychology Instructor: SALLY SINGLETON-WILLIAMS PSY/428 Organizational Psychology Eric Muswaswa October 10, 2011 University of Phoenix It is a well-demonstrated assumption that when an organization thrives, so too will its employees and staff. Therefore, to understand the inner interworking of individuals, organizations, and businesses, a lesser-known form of psychology, organizational psychology, helps these different entities operate in the best way possible. Organizational psychology utilizes scientifically-based psychological principles and research methods to study a variety of topics important to understanding human behavior in many different types of organizations (Jex & Britt, 2008). As such, organizational psychology is an applied field that studies virtually all the intricacies of a group setting. After we define organizational psychology, we will explain the role of research and statistics in organizational psychology. Then we will show how organizational psychology can be used in organizations. Organizational Psychology Defined In their classic work, “The Social Psychology of Organizations”, the essence of an organization is stated as a patterned human behavior (Katz and Kahn, 1978). A patterned behavior in this case implies a certain degree of compulsory behavior on individuals. In a formal business organization, employees abide...
Words: 987 - Pages: 4
...Organizational Psychology Fred Sanford PSY428 July 13, 2011 Dr. Love Less Organizational Psychology Modern businesses must stay on the cutting edge in order to ensure success in the ever changing and highly competitive corporate environment. Paramount to this success is the application of organizational psychology which focuses on the human factor of business. Close examination of the root definition, roles of research and statistics, and utilization of organizational psychology within organizations will provide insight into just how the human factor contributes to the failure or success of an organization. The finely tuned sports team, that just achieved greatness, or the corporation that collapsed due to corruption contained one thing, people who had either a positive or negative impact on an organization. “Organizational psychology is field that utilizes scientific methodology to better understand the behavior of individuals working in organizational settings” (Jex & Britt, 2008, p.1). The simple explanation is to understand what makes people tick in an organizational environment such as a business. Once understood, the challenge to organizational psychology is to capitalize on dynamics of individual behaviors and build upon the success of the organization. The role of research and statistics in organizational psychology is crucial to understanding how an organization functions. Research is accomplished in numerous ways; archival data studies, survey studies...
Words: 776 - Pages: 4
...The Role Of Research and Statistics In Psychology Statistical Reasoning in Psychology Research and Statistics in Psychology Research and Statistics play an important role in psychology. Researchers in the field of psychology study what people will do or how they will react in any situation. Since not everyone reacts the same to a certain situation, statistics is used to see if a certain action happens often enough to come to an idea about cause and effect. It used to be believed that statistics could prove anything (Helberg). This is not true. It would only be found true if the researcher used statistics improperly and tried to bend the rules to validate their view on the subject matter (Helberg). Research and Statistics have many different areas that prove important for psychology. Statistics Statistics refers to techniques and procedures for analyzing and interpreting data, displaying data and decisions made based on the data collected. In Statistics there are different areas to be able to find and explain certain types of things being researched. There is inferential statistics, descriptive statistics, variables, parameters, summation notation and measurement scales. Statistics which is often considered confusing can be cleared up with explanation and examples of each area. Descriptive Statistics is a summary of the collected data. It helps to organize it in a way that makes it understandable. An example would be: A personality test on 1000 college...
Words: 993 - Pages: 4
...Organizational Psychology Paper Dana Martinez Organizational Psychology /428 August 9, 2010 Antonio Borrello Abstract Everything we in life has a tremendous impact on the way we behave, from the kind of foods we eat, the cars we drive, to the roof over our heads. Organizational psychology is described as a field that utilizes scientific methodology to better understand individuals working in organizational settings (University of Phoenix 2008). The use of organizational psychologist is designed to help the organization function more effectively. There are several benefits from an effective organization. This paper will not only define organizational psychology, but will also explore the role of research and statistics in organizational psychology and describe how organizational psychology can be used in organizations. Organizational Psychology Organizational psychology is the scientific study of individual and group behavior in formal organizational settings (University of Phoenix 2008).To further this definition, psychology alone focuses on individual behavior. Organizations will fall apart if they would allow its employees to do their own thing and not have structure. Organizational psychology is a must in all organizations. Without organizational psychology, employees will be allowed to do their own thing without being aware of the behavior of their co-workers. Organizational psychology is mostly focused on group-type settings, most commonly in offices and workplace...
Words: 864 - Pages: 4
...Organizational Psychology Michelle Brito Psych/570 December 23, 2013 Prof. Linda Whinghter Organizational Psychology The behavior that people experience in a workplace can be studied in organizational psychology. Organizational psychology is a sub-category to organizational/industrial psychology better known as I/O psychology. The I/O psychology is divided into two different groups. Each subject focuses on an essential part of the organization. There are two related discipline in organizational psychology, which are organizational behavior and Industrial psychology. Although both are similar to organizational psychology, each side has its differences. Research statistics are an essential part to an organizing development and problem solving. Organizational Psychology The study of organizational psychology understands the dynamics of people in a workplace. Organizational psychology uses scientific methods to understand the conduct of people who work in an organization setting (Jex & Britt, 2008). Rules, structure, and guideline aids employee to work as a group instead of working as individual towards a common goal. The purpose of organizational psychology is to help better employee’s performances, better fairness, and better the relationship between employees. The core of an organization is patterned human conduct (Katz & Kahn, 1978). The rules, structure, and guideline aids the employees to perform the task at hand and can also have a psychological effect. Organizational...
Words: 1243 - Pages: 5
...Running head: EXAMINATION OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY Examination of Clinical Psychology University of Phoenix PST/480 Karen Wilson Nov 14, 2011 Examination of Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology is a very important as well as popular part of the field of psychology that is used very often. To begin, a definition of clinical psychology will be included. According to APA (2009) “Clinical psychology attempts to use the principles of psychology to better understand, predict, and alleviate ‘intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social, and behavioral aspects of human functioning’” (Plante, 2011, p. 5). The following paper will first describe the history and evolving nature of clinical psychology. Second, the role of research and statistics in clinical psychology will be addressed. Finally, the differences between clinical psychology and other mental health professions will be examined. Clinical psychology provides an insight into the human psyche and how we as individuals can deal with different aspects of the world around us. The first item to be discussed is the history and evolving nature of clinical psychology. History of Clinical Psychology Clinical psychology has been around unofficially for hundreds of years. People have always had mental or emotional problems in the past, but there was never a name to go with the problem. Psychology has been around since 2500 B.C. but during that time period people used magic, herbs, reasoning...
Words: 1195 - Pages: 5
