The Scientific Method in Action

Psychologists don't just guess; they follow a structured path to discovery. The Scientific Method is a standardized way of making observations, gathering data, and forming theories. It follows five main steps: 1. Observation (noticing a pattern), 2. Hypothesis (making a testable prediction), 3. Experimentation (testing the prediction), 4. Data Analysis (looking at the numbers), and 5. Reporting (sharing results). This cycle ensures that findings are based on evidence rather than personal opinion or intuition.

In psychology, a single study is never enough. Replication is the process of repeating a study, usually with different participants and in different situations, to see if the basic findings can be applied to other people. If we find that $Study_{1}$ and $Study_{2}$ yield the same results, our confidence in the theory grows. If the results differ, we must ask why. Without replication, a 'discovery' might just be a one-time accident or the result of researcher bias.

A good research question must be testable and falsifiable (able to be proven wrong). To do this, we define our variables. The Independent Variable ($IV$) is the thing you change (the cause), and the Dependent Variable ($DV$) is the thing you measure (the effect). A vague question like 'Is social media bad?' is hard to test. A specific question like 'Does scrolling TikTok for 30 minutes before bed decrease sleep quality?' is much better because we can measure the time and the sleep.