Goals of Science

Measurement & Description

In order to understand a phenomenon the first step is a description and that involves some sort of measurement of the phenomenon.

EX: If I want to assess whether caffeine intake makes people more jittery and anxious, I need some measure of "anxiety."

Understanding & Prediction

Description tells us what is happening and to whom, but it does not tell us "why" it is happening. Scientists form tentative explanations for their observations during the "Measurement & Description phase." These "hunches" or what are called "hypotheses" need to be put to the test.

EX: Let's say that I speculate that body weight may influence the effects of caffeine intake. Thus, I predict that people with a lighter body weight will show more fidgeting after three cups of caffeinated coffee than will people with a heavier body weight.

The last sentence is my hypothesis (a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables) (Weiten, 1998, p. 38)

Application & Control

Scientists hope that the information they gather will be of practical use. If we understand what and why something occurs we have greater control over it.

Thus, how might information about the effects of caffeine help people?

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