Advantages Of Scientific Method

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F

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Allows theories/hypothesis to be created, tested and falsified.
E.G. Pavlov, behaviour can be conditioned in response to a specific stimulus, used a controlled observation, dogs associated a bell with food, led Pavlov to develop his theory of classical conditioning.
Shows how a prediction was tested & a theory created, allowing theories to be falsified (proving the null hypothesis wrong/rejecting it). Scientific research that has found cause and effect relationships between neurotransmitters and mental illness is easier to falsify and better regarded than Freud’s theories of personality development (non-scientific methods, cannot be falsified)

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Allows data to be collected in an objective way (i.e. systematic collection of measurable data that is not affected by the expectations of the researcher).
E.G. Brain scans used by the biological approach are considered ‘objective’. Eden et al used objective brain scans to associate dyslexia with a lack of activity in the visual cortex.
Objective measurements are seen as measurements that are not biased through the actions of the participants or the researcher, without objectivity we have no way of being certain that data collected is valid.

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Permits replication as the use of standardised procedures and high levels of control allow for the research to be repeated in the future.
E.G. the standardised procedures used by Asch during his research in social influence (the cards the participants saw and where the naïve participant sat were standardised) allowed Perrin and Spencer to replicate Asch’s research in 1980. Repeating a study is one of the most important ways to demonstrate the validity of any observation or experiment. If the outcome is the same this affirms the truth of the original results and validates the findings. Furthermore, research that is replicable is generally more reliable as it involves strict standardised procedures.

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C

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Scientific methods such as lab experiments allow researchers to demonstrate causal relationships between an IV (independent variable) and the DV (dependant variable). In order to achieve this, lab experiments require a high level of control over all other confounding variables.
E.G. due to the high level of control, Loftus & Palmer were able to manipulate the IV (the verb used on the questionnaire) and test the DV (the speed estimate), without the interference from any confounding variables.
Allows researchers to establish strong cause-effect relationships between the manipulation of the IV and the DV. Cause and Effect is central to science. This would be hard to achieve in a non-scientific method, such as a natural experiment, due to the low level of control.

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The data collected is empirical e.g. the information is gained through direct observations and experiments.
E.G. antidepressant drugs have been proven scientifically to reduce the symptoms of depression.
Allows people to make claims about the truth of a theory or the benefits of a treatment but the only way we know such things to be true is through empirical evidence.

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Conclusion

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Allows for objective and empirical data to be collected as it is controlled meaning that cause & effect relationships can be established. As a result, the research is replicable and falisifiable thus existing theories can be empirically tested and new theories can be generated.