Any science cannot exist if it does not use scientific methods for its researches. In other words, the importance of scientific method can be recognized in the fact that this method makes science what it is.
In psychology, the scientific method is associated with the four interrelated objectives of research: to describe the behavior, to predict behavior, to explain behavior, to control the behavior. Description of behavior by means of scientific methods helps identify the regular sequence of events, including motivations, external factors which have the influence on an individual`s responses or behavior. Preparation of clear and detailed descriptions of behavior is the first step in any scientific researches, which is essential for the prediction and explanation of a behavior (Osgood, 1953).
Prediction of a behavior is associated with the exploration of laws of behavior, fixed and predictable relationships between variables). Prediction should lead to the implementation of forecasts about behavior changes with varying degrees of probability.
Explanation of behavior is related to examination of causes of a behavior. The process of establishing causality is complex and involves many aspects. Behavior management and control is the practical application of laws of behavior explored in the process of a psychological research.
The scientific method includes ways of analysis some phenomena, systematization, and regulation of new and previously acquired knowledge. Interpretations and conclusions are made with the help of rules, principles, arguments based on empirical (observable and measurable) data of an object. The observations and experiments are based on obtaining data. To explain the observed facts scientists construct hypotheses and theories.
The scientific method is a procedure for gaining scientific knowledge, which allows it to reproduce, verify and give obtained knowledge to others; it is a way of organizing knowledge aimed to achieve a scientific truth; a system of regulatory principles of cognitive activity.
Underlining the importance of the scientific method, Francis Bacon said that the scientific method is like a lantern illuminating the way to someone who goes. Even the lame man walking on the road is ahead of the one who goes without a road and do not have the illumination of a lantern (Osgood, 1953).
Using scientific methods in the study allows scientists to obtain reliable knowledge about a different phenomenon. Scientific methods allow to some degree overcome prejudices, biases, and various misconceptions. So how does the knowledge gained through scientific methods influence individuals` decisions and individuals` practical tasks? Why are scientific methods important for practical, daily issues? To answer this question we can consider particular example of how scientific knowledge produced by using special methods can influence the solution of some important practical tasks and how the lack of information proven with the help of scientific methods may influence the development of certain myths and misconceptions (Carey& Smith, 1993, p. 245).
For example, the question of the effect of watching children's cartoons, educational programs on the development of young children is the question of the hour in our age of mass media. Many companies engaged in the production of children's media indicate in the instructions to their media product for babies that their cartoons and educational programs for kids can positively influence the development of cognitive abilities of children in the age under two years.
Many parents really believe that whenever their child is exposed to watching TV, the child develops, learns new words, etc. This belief of parents can influence that parents will pay less time to communicate with their children and will be more willing to allow children spending a lot of time watching the children's media. In this case parents` belief in the positive influence of baby media is built on the basis of commercial assumptions, not on the basis of scientific facts.
However, despite commercial states of different companies which created baby educational cartoons and programs, results of scientific studies indicate that children in the age of fewer than two years are unable to perceive and learn information provided by media.
Kirkorian and colleagues conducted the literature review of different studies on the topic of influence media on young children`s learning in their research article. Several studies have shown that children under two years, children older than two years and adults perceive same videos in different ways and, accordingly, watching videos has different effects on infants` and older children`s development. For example, one study examined the eye movements of adults, preschool children, and infants during watching a video. It was found that compared to other participants in the experiment, the eye movement of infants were more changeable; babies were less receptive to changes on the screen. In other words, infants perceive what is happening on the screen significantly worse than the older children. And accordingly, the infants did not have specifically intellectual benefit during such watching a video (Kirkorian, Wartella& Anderson, 2008).
Also, results of another studies conducted with using scientific methods show that infants and toddlers can learn more if they communicate with their parents rather than if they watch educational baby media.
The study of DeLoache and colleagues was conducted to check how video watching influences children`s learning of new words. Researchers examined four groups of parents and their children (DeLoache, Chiong, Sherman, Islam, Vanderborght, Troseth & O’Doherty, 2010).
The first group of children was exposed to watching baby media during several weeks, the second group of children also was watching baby educational media program. However, parents from the second group were instructed to watch educational media program together with their children and to interact with children during watching baby program. The third group of children did not watch the educational baby video. However, parents from this group were asked to teach their children to understand and verbalize new words. The fourth group was a control group without any special influence.
Results of the study were very interesting. It showed that children younger than two years who watched baby educational video alone or together with parents after several weeks of the experiment demonstrated the same low results in learning new words as children from the control group who were not exposed to any special influences.
At the same time, children from that group where parents taught them to verbalize and understand new words showed the best results in language development in comparison to other participants of the study. Result of this study and results of other similar studies prove that statements about benefits of baby media for cognitive development of children in the age under two years is myth rather than truth and that it is parents and not TV who can and must influence cognitive development of their children in early years (DeLoache, Chiong, Sherman, Islam, Vanderborght, Troseth, & O’Doherty, 2010, p. 1572).
So this example shows the practical importance of scientific method. Of course, people who are not scientists will not refer to results of scientific studies to solve some everyday tasks on daily basis. However, results of different scientific studies can overcome many widespread misconceptions and change views on many important issues of everyday life. Also, knowledge obtained with the help of scientific methods can improve quality of life of humans, help people better understand different phenomena of their environment, and change life in social and cultural dimensions.
References
Kirkorian, H. L., Wartella, E. A., & Anderson, D. R. (2008). Media and young children's learning. The Future of Children, 18(1), 39-61.
DeLoache, J. S., Chiong, C., Sherman, K., Islam, N., Vanderborght, M., Troseth, G. L., & O’Doherty, K. (2010). Do babies learn from baby media?. Psychological Science. 21(11) 1570 –1574
Osgood, C. E. (1953). Method and theory in experimental psychology.
Carey, S., & Smith, C. (1993). On understanding the nature of scientific knowledge. Educational psychologist, 28(3), 235-251.
