Scientific inquiry - Essay Example

Difference between Science and Scientific Inquiry According to the simple and general perception, the research areas namely Physics, Chemistry and Biology constitute the term ‘science’. However, the meaning of science cannot be limited to those three subjects; instead, it spread spreads to rather wide meaning and broader scope. In its broad sense, science is the systematic, well organized observation and analysis of natural world and its phenomena. It also tries to discover the facts behind every phenomenon concerned with the daily life and formulates theories on the basis of the discovered facts.

According to National Standards for Science Education (NRC, 1996, p.23), scientists learn about the natural world in diverse methods on the basis of evidences derived from their work and they propose explanations for the study. The scientific inquiry includes some core elements such as ‘making observations, posting questions, examining information sources, planning investigations, analysis and interpretation of data, proposing answers, explanations and predictions, and communicating results’ (NRC, 1996, p.23. Cited in Simonson & Schlosser, p.2). Thus science and scientific inquiry are differentiated in various respects; the later tries to acquire knowledge about natural world through an assortment of observations and investigations whereas the knowledge obtained through the scientific inquiry constitutes science.

I/O psychology refers to Industrial and Organizational psychology which is also called work psychology or organizational psychology or talent assessment. In the opinion of Spector (2003: 6) ‘the application of psychological principles to organizational settings’ and people at work in the organization is called Industrial and Organizational psychology. The primary objective of this branch of psychology is to preserve the ‘health and well-being’ of employees and thereby it helps the organization to ‘get the most from their employees or human resources’ (Spector.

Cited in Furnham, 2005, p.2). Even though science and scientific inquiry are the fundamental elements of I/O psychology; scientific inquiry benefits more than science in the field of I/O psychology. In today’s complex business structure, priority is given to HRM strategies and thus organizational psychologists mainly concentrate on behavioral science and psychology. They analyze individual’s behavior through a sequence of processes such as close observations, interviews, investigations and interpretations.

Organizational psychologists also make use of science for the thorough analysis of collected data in the light of past experience. Subsequently, they apply scientific inquiry each day in order to penetrate into the employees’ mental conceptions so that it is possible to take enhance their productivity toward the profitability and sustainability of the organization. According to my point of view, science and scientific technology are indispensable for best-fit decision making in I/O psychology.

Without the application of both science and science inquiry, we cannot get a perfect ‘work psychological’ result which is necessary for decision making in I/O psychology. Scientific inquiry only gives the results of presently observed or investigated data which are of little use until it is not processed under scientific theories or hypothesis which was already formulated. The comparison or analysis of data collected by scientific inquiry with pre-derived scientific facts facilitates the I/O psychologist to understand the behavioral changes take place among employees.

At the same time, ‘science’ alone will not favor the process of talent assessment and thereby decision making in an organization. To conclude, in the field organizational psychology, science and scientific inquiry are interrelated and synchronized. ReferencesSimonson, M. & Schlosser, C. (Eds.). (2004). Quarterly Review of Distance Education. Information Age publishing. Print.Furnham, A. (2005). The psychology of Behavior at Work: the Individual in the Organization. Edition 2. Psychology Press, Print.

ISBN: 1841695033