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Related Concept Videos

Perception01:28

Perception

Perception is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to organize, interpret, and consciously experience sensory information. This process is crucial for understanding and interacting with the world around us. It includes both bottom-up and top-down processing, each playing a distinct role in how we perceive our environment.
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
Defining Psychology01:24

Defining Psychology

Psychology is the scientific discipline dedicated to understanding both observable behavior and the internal mental processes underlying such behavior. It aims to comprehend human nature and apply this understanding to solve practical problems, enhance well-being, and improve societal outcomes. An example of psychology's application is the study of prosocial behavior, such as why and under what conditions individuals might help strangers in need. This process involves describing observed...
Subliminal Perception01:15

Subliminal Perception

Subliminal perception refers to the processing of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness. Researchers study subliminal perception by presenting a stimulus, such as a word or image, very quickly, typically around 50 milliseconds. This rapid presentation is often followed by another stimulus, such as a pattern of dots or lines, which blocks further mental processing of the initial stimulus. As a result, if participants cannot identify the initial stimulus better...
Deindividuation00:57

Deindividuation

Deindividuation is a form of social influence on an individual’s behavior such that the individual engages in unusual or non-normal behavior while in a group setting. Why? Because in these group settings, the individual no longer sees themselves as an individual anymore, disinhibiting their behavior and personal restraint.
Psychology as a Science01:13

Psychology as a Science

Psychology, as a scientific discipline, aims to understand the mind and behavior through rigorous and systematic methods. The foundation of psychological research is evidence-based, relying heavily on the scientific method to derive and validate knowledge. This structured approach ensures that findings are reliable, valid, and applicable to broader contexts.
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...
Naturalistic Observations02:30

Naturalistic Observations

If you want to understand how behavior occurs, one of the best ways to gain information is to simply observe the behavior in its natural context. However, people might change their behavior in unexpected ways if they know they are being observed. How do researchers obtain accurate information when people tend to hide their natural behavior? As an example, imagine that your professor asks everyone in your class to raise their hand if they always wash their hands after using the restroom. Chances...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior
09:49

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

Detecting psychological phenomena: taking bottom-up research seriously.

Brian D Haig1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand. brian.haig@canterbury.ac.nz

The American Journal of Psychology
|July 18, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Psychology

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Area of Science:

  • Psychological research methodology
  • Scientific discovery in psychology

Background:

  • Psychology has historically relied on a top-down, hypothesis-testing research approach.
  • This dominant strategy, often using null hypothesis testing, has led to insufficient focus on data-driven discovery.
  • A critical gap exists in pursuing bottom-up, data-to-theory research strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a methodological account of phenomena detection in psychological research.
  • To highlight the importance of a complementary bottom-up research strategy.
  • To advocate for changes in psychological research practices.

Main Methods:

  • Distinguishing between data, phenomena, and theory.
  • Identifying and describing various methodological strategies for empirical phenomena detection.
  • Discussing the nature of science through the lens of data, phenomena, and theory.

Main Results:

  • The study clarifies the crucial role of phenomena detection as a primary aspect of bottom-up research.
  • It emphasizes the two key components of this strategy: detecting empirical generalizations and abductively generating theories.
  • The analysis reveals significant deficiencies in current psychological research practices due to an overemphasis on hypothesis testing.

Conclusions:

  • Psychological research requires a shift towards integrating bottom-up, data-to-theory approaches alongside top-down methods.
  • Adopting robust phenomena detection methods is essential for advancing psychological science.
  • Implementing these changes can address major current research deficiencies and foster more comprehensive understanding.