Investigating the Psychological World ― Scientific Method in the Behavioral Sciences

This book considers scientific method in the behavioral sciences, with particularreference to psychology. Psychologists learn about research methods and use them to conduct theirresearch, but their training teaches them little about the nature of scientific method itself. In Investigating the Psychological World, Brian Haig fills this gap. Drawing onbehavioral science methodology, the philosophy of science, and statistical theory, Haig constructs abroad theory of scientific method that has particular relevance for the behavioral sciences. Heterms this account of method the abductive theory of method (ATOM) in recognitionof the importance it assigns to explanatory reasoning. ATOM offers the framework for a coherenttreatment of a range of quantitative and qualitative behavioral research methods, giving equaltreatment to data-analytic methods and methods of theory construction. Haig draws on the newexperimentalism in the philosophy of science to reconstruct the process of phenomena detection as itapplies to psychology; he considers the logic and purpose of exploratory factor analysis; hediscusses analogical modeling as a means of theory development; and he recommends the use ofinference to the best explanation for evaluating theories in psychology. Finally, he outlines thenature of research problems, discusses the nature of the abductive method, and describesapplications of the method to grounded theory method and clinical reasoning. The book will be ofinterest not only to philosophers of science but also to psychological researchers who want todeepen their conceptual understanding of research methods and methodological concerns.

Brian D. Haig is Professor of Psychology at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.