Through numerous discoveries in psychology, research has contributed to the collection of information and this information is often presented in the form of statistics. In order to gather this information, the scientific method is frequently used in the field of psychology, as well as by those in other professions. The purpose of this article is to discuss research and statistics, and their use in psychology. Research and the Scientific Method Research itself is defined as a "systematic study directed toward a more complete knowledge or understanding of fundamental aspects of observable phenomena and facts without specific applications to processes or products in mind." (NSF, 2014). Research, to put it simply, is a study of materials and sources for the purpose of developing facts and determining new conclusions. However, psychological research involves research carried out by psychologists to explore and analyze the experiences and behaviors of a group of people or an individual. There are three types of psychological research; relaxed, relational and descriptive. Casual research is a fundamental concept of cause and effect in which researchers study the effect of one variable on another, while relational research is a study that examines the connections between two or more variables. However, descriptive research seeks to discover what already exists in a population or group. When conducting research, the most commonly used technique is the scientific method, which involves five steps. The first step is to determine the problem to be solved and the second step is to develop a hypothesis for that scientific problem. The third step is to test this hypothesis, while the fourth step is to record the observations. Additionally, the last step of the ...... middle of paper ......s which describes a certain set of information. Researchers are able to present data more accurately and clearly for other researchers to read and understand, which is another aspect that makes secondary data easier for others. In conclusion, the roles of research and statistics in the field of psychology are more important than many realize. think. The large amount of information collected during a research study can become very confusing, so organizing it can help others interpret it as well as the person who collected it in the first place. Works cited Aron, A., Aron, EN and Coups, E. (2009). Statistics for Psychology (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. National Science Foundation. (2014). Definitions of research and development: an annotated compilation of official sources. Retrieved from http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/randdef/fedgov.cfm