What is experimental psychology?

experimental psychology It is a scientific discipline that addresses psychological phenomena through experimentation; which consists of the observation, manipulation and recording of the object of study (in this case, thought and behavior) and the related variables.

It is important to mention that Any psychological school or current that uses experimentation is considered part of experimental psychology.; regardless of epistemological considerations about its object of study.

Furthermore, while each branch of psychology strives to understand human behavior and thought experimental psychology focuses on conducting controlled experiments with designated variables, test subjects, and statistical results.

Let’s delve a little deeper into this discipline.

Origin of experimental psychology

For some it was Charles Darwin with The origin of species who started the field of experimental psychology. On one side, There is no doubt that Darwin’s revolutionary theory sparked interest in the relationship between biology and psychology. Well, in the early 1900s, psychologists began using the natural sciences to analyze and explain the human mind.

However, this inaccurate understanding of the human mind as a machine was replaced by functionalist theories. For example, William James, the father of American psychology, was strongly influenced by evolutionary biology and promoted the idea that the mind is naturally adaptive, sensitive, and intelligent.

In the end, they were behaviorism and other branches of modern psychology that contributed to the formation of what we know today as experimental psychology.

What do experimental psychologists do?

Experimental psychologists want to study behaviors, as well as the different processes and functions that support these behaviors. For it, They use the experimental method, which involves the observation, manipulation and recording of the variables that affect an object of study..

In addition, Researchers use measurement instruments that require a high degree of control and precision. The tests are carried out on humans; but, above all, in animals. In this case, the use of animals is more frequent since it not only allows the behavior and psychic processes of man to be explained through inference, but also allows the researcher to have them at any time and under any circumstance.

In addition, there are certain experiments that cannot be done on humans for ethical reasons that prohibit it. However, it is pertinent to emphasize that research with animals has declined in recent years, given the demands of environmentalists and animal protectors.

Principles of experimental psychology

To better understand the approach of experimental psychology, There are four fundamental principles that researchers generally agree on. for psychological studies to be considered reliable. These principles are:

Determinism: Experimental psychologists, like most scientists, accept the notion of determinism. This is the assumption that any state of an object or event is determined by previous states. In other words, behavioral or mental phenomena are typically expressed in terms of cause and effect. If a phenomenon is sufficiently general and widely confirmed, it can be called a ‘law’.Empiricism: Knowledge is only derived primarily from experiences related to the senses. Therefore, only things that are observable can be studied. The notion of empiricism requires that hypotheses and theories be tested against observations of the natural world and not against a priori reasoning, intuition, or revelation.Parsimony: It is the search for simplicity. According to this principle, investigations should be carried out on the simplest of theories. If we are faced with two different and contrasting theories, the more parsimonious or basic theory is preferred.Probability: According to this principle, hypotheses and theories should be testable over time. If a theory cannot be tested in any conceivable way, then many scientists consider the theory meaningless. Probability implies ‘falsifiability’, which is the idea that some set of observations could prove the theory wrong.

To these principles we can add operational definition or operationism. The operational definition implies that a concept is defined in terms of concrete and observable procedures. Experimental psychologists attempt to define currently unobservable phenomena, such as mental events, by connecting them to observations by chains of reasoning.

Reliability and validity

Reliability measures the consistency, verifiability, or repeatability of a study. If the research can be repeated and still produces the same results (either in a different set of participants or over a different time period), then it is considered reliable.

For its part, Validity measures the relative precision or accuracy of the conclusions drawn from a study. It is the accuracy and relative accuracy of psychological studies. To determine the validity of a measure quantitatively, it must be compared to a criterion.

Several types of validity have been distinguished:

Internal validity: in which the study provides strong evidence of causality between two factors. A study that has high internal validity concludes that, in fact, it is the manipulation of the independent variable that is responsible for the changes in the dependent variable.External validity: in which the study can be replicated in different populations and still produce the same results.Construct validity: in which it is found that the independent and dependent variables are accurate representations of the abstract concepts being studied.Conceptual validity: in which the hypothesis being tested supports the broader theory that is also being studied.

Final comments

Let us remember that, although experimental psychology is sometimes considered a branch of psychology, Experimental methods are widely used in all areas of psychology.

For example, developmental psychologists use experimental methods to study how people grow during childhood and across the lifespan.

Social psychologists, for their part, use experimental techniques to study how people are influenced by groups. Meanwhile, health psychologists also use experimentation to better understand the factors that contribute to well-being and illness.

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