C h a p t e r introduction to Scientific Research

S T U D Y Q U E S T I O N 1 . 5
What are the characteristics a person has to have to be a good scientist,
and why are these characteristics necessary?
Objectives of Psychological Research
Ultimately, the objective of scientific research is to understand the world in which
we live. Scientific research demands a detailed examination of a phenomenon. Only
when a phenomenon is accurately described and explained—and therefore
predictable and, in most cases, capable of being controlled—will a scientist say that it
is understood. Consequently, scientific understanding requires four specific objec-
tives: description, explanation, prediction, and control.
Description
The first objective, 
description
, requires that the phenomenon be accurately
portrayed. One must identify the characteristics of the phenomenon and then
determine the degree to which they exist. For example, Piaget’s theory of child
development arose from detailed observations and descriptions of his own
children. Any new area of study usually begins with the descriptive process,
because it identifies the variables that exist. Only after we have some knowledge
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Introduction to Scientific Research
Description
The portrayal of 
a situation or 
phenomenon
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of which variables exist can we begin to explain why they exist. For example, we
would not be able to explain the existence of separation anxiety (an infant’s
crying and visual searching behavior when the caretaker departs) if we had not
first identified this behavior and the age at which it occurs. Scientific knowledge
typically begins with description.