BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR

            The efficient idealization of scientific research depends on a sequence of steps that will establish the structural body to a specific study. Seeking to validate a hypothesis, shortly after the first elaborations of the study, like the analysis of variables and its measurement, it is essential to think about which research strategy will be used to achieve the research's objective and responding the research question.      There are five types of research strategies that can be considered as descriptive research, correlational research, and experimental study. Through each approach is possible to obtain different unambiguous explanations analyzing a variable as its correlation with other variables as well.       These strategies can be used to evaluate one variable like how many hours a child is exposed to a  TV content (The Descriptive Research  Strategy) or to analyze the correlation between...

            In a research study process, it is critical that researchers should take all steps necessary to ensure the reliability of their findings.  The representativeness of the sample used by researches is determinant to make more assertive conclusions about what will be studied and analyzed.  A   representative sample  is defined by a small quantity of something that accurately reflects the larger quantity, no matter which topic it has been studied. It can be related to several topics as population, students, HIV positive, and etc.  A r epresentative sample can be used when researches ensure that all relevant types of people are included in a sample and that the right mix of people is  interviewed in a survey, for example.    The whole process of choosing the sample starts with the decision about the sampling method it will be more adequate.  The use of the sampling method...

       No that long ago, researchers conducted their studies and experiments disregarding important issues related to the welfare of participants. In the name of Science advance, several barbarities were committed against humans and nonhumans. Cases like what happened at Willowbrook School for mentally "retarded" children (between 1956-1971), when almost 100% of the residents were deliberately exposed to hepatitis for the purpose of testing experimental vaccines, are enough to illustrate how participant's integrity should be regarded in the research process.          The ethics involved in a research process are fundamental to ensure the protection of participants, accuracy, and honesty in the reporting of its findings as well. Research ethics were elaborated to regulate the standards of conduct for scientific researchers. It is important that researchers be aligned with ethical principles in order to protect the dignity, righ...

             Defining and measuring variables in the scientific research process is a crucial step to secure that the study is successful and obtain the expected results. To understand how the variables can be affected and interfere with results under different conditions is necessary that they can be measured.               The variables that are essential to predict a given behavior can be represented as a hypothetical construct. Trough operational definition, researches may define and measure how this construct will be evaluated, like loneliness,  for example. Understand how an intangible variable can be observed and studied, depend on the quality of which operational definition will be used to be sure that it will measure what is proposed to be.               Validity is one of the essential criteria to evaluate a measurement procedure. Despite the  obvious concep...

Maybe, for many people like me, starting a process of scientific research seems to be besides a lot of effort to be original, an elaborate high task. Conduct a scientific research demands extreme attention to details and total dedication of time having to look for the necessary background to develop this kind of study. Many general ideas can flourish in our everyday situations, but it is necessary that the search of an idea results from the interest of knowing more about something specific that hooks your attention and curiosity to being scientifically explored. Subjects like practical problems and behavior can be fertile fields of research ideas since they are connected with the reality of daily life and generate endless possible questionings. Once decided about the search theme, it is necessary an in-depth reading about it through books, journals publications, and all literature that can be accessed to increase the knowledge about the research topic and can contribute with...

It is notorious the relevance of the use of the scientific method as an efficient mechanism commonly used by scientists to validate a hypothesis resulting from the observation process. The scientific method is a set of practical procedures to ensure that given influences do not interfere on the research studies.  However, beyond the recognized key steps which characterize all scientific methodology, there are essential guidelines which rule all this investigative action: Science is empirical, Science is objective, and Science is public.   Empiricism is vital as a way to avoid common sense and support through intensive observation a given behavior, for example. Making use of specific techniques of continuous observation and an elaborated condition to include some variables, scientists create ideal circumstances to achieve more consistent results for their future evaluations. The objectivity highlights the importance to avoid biases and beliefs that can become undesira...