A critical element of the study of psychology is that it is not the tools or location (lab or the boardroom) that makes it a science. It is the approach by which knowledge is sought and obtained. In this discussion we are going to apply the principles of the scientific method to create studies that inspire us.

To refresh, the guidelines of the scientific method are:

Observe the people and the world around you.
Ask questions about the things that you see in the world around you.
Look for information from within the empirical literature the provides insights towards understanding, or finding an answer for your questions.
Develop testable hypotheses that address possible solution to the question you have developed.
Conduct empirical research to test your hypothesis.
Objectively evaluate results of your test.
Compare your results with those that already exist within the empirical literature.
Communicate your results.
Employing the scientific method, psychologist generally pursue one of the following goals:

Description – providing a clear understanding of behaviors observed.
Prediction – anticipating the occurrence of behaviors and their magnitude.
Explanation – generating theories and models that move towards causal explanation of why behaviors happen in the manner that they do.
Control – applying knowledge to influence outcomes.