The big idea
🔬
Test ideas, don’t just trust them
Psychologists turn questions into testable predictions and check them against data.
Psychology · Lesson 3
The Scientific Method in Psychology
beginner⏱ 14 min · 7 cards
See it
The cycle
Question → hypothesis → test → conclusion — then repeat.
Key term
Flip to learn
What is a hypothesis?
tap to reveal ↻
Hypothesis
A specific, testable prediction about how two things relate.
Nuance
Common misconception
Watch out
One study rarely settles anything — replication is what builds confidence.
Recap
Key takeaways
- ✓A hypothesis is a testable prediction; a theory is a well-supported explanation.
- ✓Only experiments license confident causal claims.
- ✓Each method trades control against realism.
- ✓A single unreplicated study is weak evidence.
- ✓Ethics, measurement, individual differences, and culture constrain every design.
Quick check
Psychology is best defined as…
You did it
Nice work
Mark this lesson complete to track your progress.