Scientific Thinking & The Scientific Method

Applying the scientific method in everyday life

Evidence that is succeptible to one's senses and can be experienced by other people

Only evidence to be used to sound vital conclusions by scientists and critical thinkers

Prefered kind of evidence to all other kinds

Logical reasoning by scientists and critical thinkers

To deny one's emotions and face reality

Constant questioning of one's beliefs and conclusions

Experimentation

The researcher changes a variable to see if the other variable will change

The variable manipulated is called independent variable

The variable that cannotbe manipulated is called dependent variable

All tests are carried under controlled conditions

Correlation

Correlation is classified as a nonexperimental, descriptive method

mathematical technique for summarizing data

Survey

The survey, another type of non experimental, descriptive study

interviews or questionnaires

Case study

This method is also a nonexperimental, descriptive type of study

It involves an in-depth descriptive record kept by an outside observer

Naturalistic observation

the researcher very carefully observes and records some behavior or phenomenon

It is carried over a prolonged period in natural setting