Why Is Statistics Useful In Psychology?
There is a subject that tends to attract the attention of those who are starting a degree in psychology. It’s about statistics. Thinking that the numbers have been left behind, suddenly this disturbing matter appears. But what is statistics for? Why is it useful for a psychologist or someone interested in psychology?
Studying the degree in psychology we will find subjects such as: “Fundamentals of research”, “Data analysis”, “Research designs”, “Psychometrics” or similar. We are talking about subjects whose plan is based directly on statistics. On the other hand, these types of subjects are not usually the most appreciated of the career since no student begins it with the motivation to take them.
In this article we will try to answer those questions that many students and curious people ask themselves when encountering them. To develop these answers, we will talk about Psychology as a science and the usefulness of statistics in Psychology.
Research in psychology and its methodology
Remember that psychology is a science. All the conclusions that are derived from this discipline come (or should come) from the application of a comprehensive and reliable system called the scientific method. This method is based on the progressive accumulation of evidence using different mathematical resources.
Psychology is a broad discipline with applications in different fields: clinical, educational, sport, social, business, etc. However, below what is applied is the research; that is, the contrast of the efficiency of the procedures that are finally applied. This contrast is that it requires statistics as an instrument. When drawing accurate conclusions about observable reality, we need mathematics to assess the significance of the results obtained from experiments and research.
If statistics did not exist in psychology, we would not be able to know if the results we are observing are valid and reliable. A correct methodology and mathematical study provide us with the assurance that the data we have obtained in our research; which will be useful when we want to apply them to real situations.
Psychology is a science, and for this reason you have to use an abstract system that allows you to work as far as possible from opinion and subjectivity. This system is the scientific method, and one of its key aspects is the use of statistics as a tool. For this reason it is very important that psychologists are trained in it and understand in depth at least its rudiments.
The usefulness of statistics in psychology
From outside or just beginning the study of the discipline, it may seem that statistics in psychology have no immediate utility. But soon any student of Psychology will realize that they need these mathematical resources to understand the subject in depth. We will continually find data and statistics from various studies, with the validity and reliability coefficients of tests used in therapies, with mathematical models of cognitive processes …
For obvious reasons, if you want to dedicate yourself to research in psychology (or simply research that is published beyond disclosure), methodology and statistics are essential so that you can really assess the weight of the conclusions obtained in the research that you have In hands. You will be able to assess to what extent the procedure that the researchers have used is the most appropriate or how reliable the results they have finally obtained are.
Both in clinical psychology and in other applied fields require permanent training; which means being aware of the new changes in the discipline. If we want to know and interpret the conclusions of academic psychology, it is necessary to have a minimum knowledge of statistics and methodology. So even in the most remote fields of research, any psychologist is “forced” to have knowledge of statistics and data analysis.
Statistics in psychology is a subject that causes a lot of fear and the occasional headache. But it is highly rewarding and useful to know how to use the resources that your study gives you. For this reason, it is important that students and those interested in psychology immerse themselves enthusiastically in the study of methodology and data analysis.
