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Essay on "difference between scientific and non scientific research methods by using example of any psychological study".
INTRODUCTION
Research methods are the techniques which are used for collecting a data for the selected topic under study. This essay will depict difference between scientific and non scientific research methods by using example of any psychological study. Further, this essay will also reveal importance of reliability and validity principles in psychological study.
Comparing and contrasting scientific and non scientific research method
With an aim to gather data for the study, researcher takes assistance from different research methods and it is divided into two basic categories such as scientific and non scientific. These both methods have their own pros and cons. Scientific method is the form of research which uses techniques like hypothesis, qualitative research, quantitative research and control group etc for conducting study upon specific topic. On the other hand, when researcher collects its data through means like personal experience, logic and intuition then it is called as non scientific research method (Beins, 2017).
In this regard, it can be said that I am completely agree with the statement that “The scientific method provides best way to answer question, explain casual relationship in nature and test the effectiveness of treatment”. This is because scientific method gives some logic behind the identified result of the study. For example, psychological research question such as “Is child obesity is the matter of parent’s negligence” could be best answer with scientific methods. This is due to the fact that, with an aim to answer this question scholar will make use of valid research techniques like questionnaire, focus group and survey etc. These tools could be considered as the proof for getting final result of above mentioned question. Further with this, by using different quantitative analysis tests like regression and correlation, scholar can assess casual relationship between child obesity and parental negligence.
However, in comparison to this non scientific method of study seems less effective then scientific one. This is because, this study totally rely upon respondents assumptions and opinions (Johnston, 2017). But, it has been seen that non scientific method proves very effective during psychological study. This is because it gives opportunity to respondents with regard to freely expressing their views in respect to the research question which is asked to them. For example, the scientific tool like questionnaire seems ineffective in getting answer to the psychology related research question such as “Is child obesity is the matter of parent’s negligence”. This is because, here respondents is bounded into very limited options which they need to tick for each questions. Further, scientific study is also influenced through the personal opinion or thinking of researcher which they utilize while framing questionnaire. On contrary to this, non scientific method like personal experience gives full freedom to the respondents with regard to express their views about the research question. Thus, it helps in enhancing the effectiveness of the conducted study (Zhou, 2017). Overall, it can be said that both methods have their own implications. The selection and effectiveness of these methods totally depends upon the topic of study. Thus, it is required by scholar that it should choose its methods intelligently with an aim to get appropriate output.
Best design for intervention study
Intervention study is the type of study wherein two groups are formed. Here, one group kept natural or no intervention is used by researcher in this. Similarly, scholar forms another group with some kind of intervention. In order to get insight into intervention study, hypothetical example is formed (Observational and interventional study design types; an overview, 2018). Suppose, researcher is interested in conducting study upon the topic such as “Is child obesity is the matter of parent’s negligence. With respect to the given study two groups are formed. Here, in one group parents intervention will not be there. This mean in the respective group children’s are free to eat anything and they will not get any kind of suggestions from their parents as well as peer group regarding their eating habit.
Similarly, later on in the same group parent intervention will be there. In the given group, parents intervene in the eating habits of their children and give them suggestion regarding healthy food. This study is conducted for a month and outcome will be measures through the total weight of both group children (Pangrazio, 2017). In this context, it can be said that these are different ways of designing the intervention study. These consist of pre-post study design, non randomized trial design, and randomized controlled trial study design etc.
Among these all given designs, pre-post study design seems more effective with respect to the above mentioned hypothetical situation. This is because, this design effectively comply with the major feature of intervention research which is clarity of experiment. For example, in the given study researcher can clearly identify the impact of parent’s intervention in their eating habit. Hence, it will also enable scholar with respect to reach an effective conclusion with regard to the study. In addition to this, experiment on common respondent is another feature of pre-post study design (Ary, Jacobs, Irvine & Walker, 2018). It is an effective feature because it helps in enhancing the quality of conducted study. However, the quality of study will be hampered if scholar conducts its study upon groups of two different kinds of respondents. This is because, in such type of research it become very difficult for the researcher to draw an effective conclusion for its study. Hence, for getting an appropriate idea that whether obesity among children is a result of parent’s negligence or not, pre post study design seems more effective. Further, it will also enable researcher to draw a conclusion that whether output is impacted by intervention or not (Bernard, 2017).
But, it has been critically evaluated that this design does have control over those elements which changes at the time when intervention are added. This would hamper the overall quality of above mentioned study. Thus, it is correct to say that there is no single most best design for intervention study. This is due to the fact, the selection of this design totally rely upon research question.
Importance of reliability and validity principles in psychological measurement
Reliability and validity are being regarded as two most important aspects of research. They ensure that the outcome of study is effective. In accordance with the given context, it can be said that reliability is the process of examining the quality of measurement procedure that is used to assemble data for the study. For example, a study will be consider as reliable if it tend to give consistent result even after inclusion of different type of intervention during the study. On the other hand, research will be considered valid if it effectively reflects the outcome which is being presumed by scholar before starting its study (Gross, 2017).
In this context, it is right to say that both reliability and validity principles have significance in psychological study. With an aim to prove that point assistance is being taken from the above mentioned scenario. Herein, psychological test is conducted upon children and number of questions will be asked from them such as how often they eat, do your parents stop you when you eat something unhealthy and do you more when you are alone etc. These all given questions will give insight into the psychology of children.
In the given situation reliability principle has significance because it gives information to the scholar that whether it is going on to right direction or not in terms of research outcome. For instance, with regard to above scenario the study will not be considered as reliable if it gives consistent result in terms of children weight when same thing is applied upon new group with or without parent’s intervention. Hence, lack of reliability in study showcase poor research outcome.
Similarly, validity is also another important principle for present study. For example, in above scenario scholar basically want to test the psychology of children. Here, it want to get answer to the question that what are the factors which make children to eat more and making them obese (Fletcher, 2017). If scholar will not go into this direction then study will not considered as valid. Further with this, lack of validity proves ineffectiveness of researcher. Hence, it is very essential for the scholar that it should define reliability and validity principles for its study. This will lead scholar towards right path. It will also help in attaining aim and objective of study in an effectual manner.
Besides this, there are some consequences assessed which occurs when researcher uses test with poor psychometric property. One of a major consequence would be ineffectiveness in attaining aim and objective of study. The success of any study totally depends upon this aspect that how well it gives answer to the research question. If this will not happen then all the efforts of scholar will turned into waste (Zhou, 2017). Further with this, it will increase workload upon researchers as they will again have to follow whole process of the study to prove its validity and reliability. Thus, it can be said that there is a significance of reliability and validity aspect in study. It is because absence of these principles will have impact upon final outcome of study.
Acceptance of deception in psychological study
There are many researchers who use deception in their study. Deception is the act which makes someone to accept something which is false or not true. Here, people accept untruthful thing for their own personal gain. In reality, use of deception in study is completely unethical. However, there are some instances happen in front of scholars which make them to accept or follow the respective practice during the study. In this regard, there are some instances in which use of deception is considered as valid in psychology study.
Researcher can use deceptive technique in its study only when it presents evidence that the technique which is being used by it is justified by scientific educational study. Further, scholars will also have to give proof that it is becoming difficult for it to carry on the study with non deceptive technique. For example, scholar is conducting study with altruism participants who always think about benefits of other (Bernard, 2017). Then, in order to deal these participants researcher will have to make use of deceptive principle. This is because if scholar will not use it at that time overall result of the conducted study will be affected.
In addition to this, deceptive technique can also be used in the study when it does not cause physical or mental harm to the participants under study. If physical harm is caused to respondents then the study will become ineffective. Hence, it is the responsibility of scholar that it should ensure safety and security of respondents. In this respect, it can be said that researcher could use deceptive technique in the medical or clinical field related study. This is because people from this field rarely reveal facts which are associated with their work. Further with this, the technique seems unethical if it is being applied upon children and old people. Thus, it can be said that researcher cannot use this method for the above mentioned scenario wherein psychological test is being conducted upon children (Beins, 2017).
This is due to the fact that, if used then identified obtained output will be considered as false. In addition to this, it will also impair the overall result of the study. The inclusion of deception in study will be considered as ethical if it clearly gives option to participants that they can withdraw their data as soon as they understand deception. Overall, it can be said that it is responsibility of researcher that it must try to avoid deception as much as possible. This is because if it is not done then chances of conducting invalid study will be increase.
CONCLUSION
From the conducted analysis, it can be said that the success of any research study totally depends upon the data collection methods. Thus, it is required by researcher that it should conduct thorough analysis before making decision about data collection. This help in attaining objectives of study in an effectual manner.
REFERENCES
Books, Journals and Online
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Irvine, C. K. S., & Walker, D. (2018). Introduction to research in education. Cengage Learning.
Beins, B. C. (2017). Research method: A tool for life. Cambridge University Press.
Bernard, H. R. (2017). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Rowman & Littlefield.
Fletcher, A. J. (2017). Applying critical realism in qualitative research: methodology meets method. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 20(2), 181-194.
Gross, J. N. (2017). U.S. Patent No. 9,646,109. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Johnston, M. P. (2017). Secondary data analysis: A method of which the time has come. Qualitative and quantitative methods in libraries, 3(3), 619-626.
Observational and interventional study design types; an overview. (2018). [Online]. Available through:
Pangrazio, L. (2017). Exploring provocation as a research method in the social sciences. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 20(2), 225-236.
Zhou, H. (2017). Research Method. In Combustible Solid Waste Thermochemical Conversion (pp. 33-62). Springer, Singapore.
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