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Research and the Role of Statistics

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Please address the following items:

-Define research and the scientific method.
-Compare and contrast the characteristics or primary and secondary data.
-Explain the role of statistics in research.

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Solution Summary

By addressing the questions, this solution examines various aspects of research and statistics in the field of psychology.

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RESPONSE:

1. Define research and the scientific method.

Scientific research is performing a methodical study in order to prove a hypothesis or answer a specific question. Finding a definitive answer is the central goal of any experimental process. Research must be systematic and follow a series of steps and a rigid standard protocol. Scientific research must be organized and undergo planning, including performing literature reviews of past research and evaluating what questions need to be answered. Any type of real?research, whether scientific, economic or historical, requires some kind of interpretation and an opinion from the researcher. This opinion is the underlying principle, or question, that establishes the nature and type of experiment. Experimental research definition generally states that a variable must be manipulated, although case studies and purely observational science do not always comply with this norm?(http://www.experiment-resources.com/definition-of-research.html).

In research, psychologists use the scientific method to conduct their research. The scientific method is a standardized way of making observations, gathering data, forming theories, testing predictions, and interpreting results. The scientific method is a systematic, step-by-step procedure psychologists use when conducting research. By following these specific steps, psychologists seek cause and effect relationships which means that they can be certain (at least have a high level of confidence) that one variable causes an effect on another variable and that the results of the study are caused by the variable being studied and not some other, outside (extraneous) variables. The steps to ...

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