Characteristics of Scientific Approach :
Characteristics of Scientific Approach CONTROL
Most important element in the scientific approach that allows scientists to identify the cause to what is being observed.
E.g.: EXPERIMENT – To identify why an event happened (Which variable should the experimenter control?)
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
All terms used must be defined operationally
E.g.: Anxiety – Comparison between Stress and Anxiety – refers to the scores obtained in the Anxiety Scale Criterion Level
Characteristics of Scientific Approach :
Characteristics of Scientific Approach REPLICATION
Requires reliable data - i.e. Same results must be obtained if the research is repeated.
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
Researcher must systematically formulate the hypotheses and test them
Strengths of Scientific Approach :
Strengths of Scientific Approach Main strengths in scientific approach are due to its CONTROL OF VARIABLES & PRECISION OF MEASUREMENT.
Example:
CONTROL: through proper sampling techniques and research design procedures
PRECISION: use of reliable quantitative measurements
Strengths of Scientific Approach :
Strengths of Scientific Approach Experiments points to clarification of cause-effect relationships
Example:
SYSTEMATIC CONTROL of a variable is observed to give effect on another variable, on condition that the other variables are controlled, kept constant or are being eliminated
Strengths of Scientific Approach :
Strengths of Scientific Approach Utilization of HYPOTHESIS TESTING and QUANTITATIVE DATA allow statistical analyses be conducted, therefore, more precise.