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such as how many men and women there are, how many
children there are, or how many people are currently
employed.
Make Inferences Based Upon Data: By using what's
known as inferential statistics, researchers can infer
things about a given sample or population. Psychologists
use the data they have collected to test a hypothesis, or
a guess about what they predict will happen. Using this
type of statistical analysis, researchers can determine
the likelihood that a hypothesis should be either
accepted or rejected.
Statistics are fundamental to the study of psychology
as it forms the basis of the subjects science reputation.
Without quantitative data there would be no analytical proof
of findings- figures that can be put into graphs, analyzed and
so allow for a reliable and accurate conclusion that is backed
up with proof.
However, statistics can be manipulated to give a more
interesting and shocking result that fits in better with a
hypothesis or theory. For example to show a certain pattern
of behavior that may not necessarily be there if a different
statistical measurement was undertaken. This could mean
that rather than being important to the research of
psychology it may make it unreliable and undermine the
study as a whole as the conclusions could be drawn off false
results and information.
Despite this I feel that statistics are the pinnacle of research
in psychology: without them psychology would be based
purely on theory and would have no scientific base or
solid foundation to weight the research. In addition to
this, quantitative data is much easier to compare than
qualitative data- statistics can be compared by
methods such as graphs. Underwood(1949) researches
into the experimental design: I believe that the factual