Insights From Phineas Gage’s Story and the Brain’s Role in Decision-Making

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Importance of Psychological Research
Approaches to Research
Analyzing Findings
Ethics
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Psychological research has become instrumental in modern society because it helps researchers to learn more about the functioning of the brain. The key to understanding psychology is research, which in some ways makes it easier for psychologists to assist people who are having trouble or recommends a brand-new idea to improve how we go about doing things like learning, parenting, or even establishing a new business. The functioning of the brain is diverse and requires adequate knowledge in order to understand the changes that occur in a person’s ability to think in a certain way. From newborn development to the behavior of social groupings, psychology scholars look into a wide range of subjects.

The scientific method is used by psychologists to conduct systematic and empirical research. Forming an idea and then testing it are the two main areas that this scientific approach may be broken down into. This paper explores psychological research with reference to Phineas Gage, who had an accident that damaged his head. The paper establishes the functioning of the brain and its role in making decisions about certain aspects of life.

Importance of Psychological Research

Psychological research establishes evidence-based strategies that can be relied on to solve issues that affect the well-being of people and enhance their lives positively. The field of psychology is diverse. Psychologists diagnose and treat patients, conduct basic and applied research, advise communities and organizations, and teach aspiring psychologists and those who plan to pursue other fields of study. They gauge personality and intelligence. Many psychologists are also medical professionals. They evaluate the health and functioning of the mind and behavior (Spielman et al., 2020).

Other psychologists investigate how people interact with one another and with technologies and try to strengthen these interactions. For instance, the case of Phineas Gage reveals that the brain has different parts that play varied roles in the functioning and reasoning of a human being. Therefore, psychologists explore the brain part that is injured and its role in making decisions. In Gage’s case, the damaged part of the brain was the frontal cortex, which affects personality and ability to make decisions. Therefore, the research on Gage’s accident and brain damage helped in establishing the parts of the brain and how they function.

Psychological research helps to improve critical thinking and reasoning toward identifying solutions to difficult situations in life. A psychology degree is useful for a variety of reasons. Students of psychology develop their critical thinking abilities and learn how to apply the scientific method. The active application of a set of abilities to information for the interpretation and evaluation of that information is known as critical thinking. In a world full of conflicting “facts,” many of which are intentionally deceptive, the capacity to evaluate information and determine its validity and utility is crucial (Spielman et al., 2020).

For instance, keeping a skeptic’s mindset, identifying one’s prejudices, applying reason, asking the right questions, and making observations are all examples of critical thinking. Most issues in modern life require critical thinking in order to solve them. In solving all the issues that affect human beings’ life, the brain and how it functions play a crucial role. Therefore, psychological research must be prioritized in modern society to identify the functioning of the brain and some phenomena that can be triggered to enhance the thinking capacity and capabilities of the brain.

Approaches to Research

Psychologists rely on different methods and techniques to conduct research activities in order to gain adequate knowledge concerning the brain and how it functions. For example, psychologists might rely on longitudinal research to examine the behavioral pattern change in an individual and the role of the brain in the changes. In a longitudinal study, the same subjects are periodically examined to look for any changes that might happen over time. In longitudinal studies, a sort of correlational research, researchers watch and gather information on numerous factors without attempting to change them. For instance, researchers observed the changes in Gage’s thinking capacity and ability to make decisions after the accident and eventually established the importance and functioning of the frontal cortex (Cherry, 2022).

Case studies also help in psychological research. A case study is a type of research methodology that produces a thorough, multifaceted understanding of a complex problem in its actual setting. It is a well-known research strategy that is widely applied in a range of fields, especially the social sciences. The case study of Phineas Gage helped psychological researchers to gain in-depth knowledge about the functioning of the human brain.

Another approach to psychological research is cross-sectional studies. A cross-sectional study is a type of research design in which a researcher gathers information from a wide range of people all at once. In a cross-sectional study, variables are observed without being changed by the researcher. In the case of Phineas Gage, the psychologists could only observe and record the changes regarding the damage to his brain but could not influence the changes. Psychological research can also be approached through naturalistic observation, which entails a research strategy used by psychologists and other social sciences are naturalistic observation (Cherry, 2022).

This method involves watching individuals’ spontaneous behavior in unstructured settings and studying it. Simply said, the researcher takes note of what they observe in any way they can. Naturalistic observation identifies how changes in behavioral patterns and the functioning of the brain can be affected by the natural environment. The other major approaches to psychological research include surveys and archival research. In the survey method, researchers seek people’s thoughts and opinions about a certain phenomenon before making decisions.

Analyzing Findings

In psychological research, analysis of findings entails the evaluation of acquired data using logical and analytical reasoning to spot trends, correlations, or patterns. Phineas Gage’s accident case entails a deep analysis of the findings and results obtained from the case to understand the functioning of the brain. Psychologists test a hypothesis or an educated prediction about what they believe will happen using the evidence they have gathered. Researchers can assess the chance that a hypothesis should be accepted or rejected using this kind of statistical analysis (Kenny, 2019).

Analyzing findings helps researchers to determine the efficacy of the research activity and how the research question has been answered by the research. The analysis of findings in psychological research can be done through the correlation method. Although there may be a correlation between two or more variables, causality and effect are not always implied by this correlation. Correlation between two variables simply indicates that when one changes, the other variable also changes in a similar way and intensity. Because it enables us to determine the strength and direction of correlations between two variables, correlational research is helpful. However, the correlation has its limitations because proving a connection only provides us with limited information regarding causation and effect.

Ethics

According to the American Psychological Association’s Ethics Code, psychologists who perform research must inform participants about the study’s goals, methods, and procedures. The rights of the participants to refuse to participate and to withdraw from the research after it has begun, as well as the expected effects of doing so. In order to carry out successful psychological research, the researchers must adhere to the informed-consent rules. The informed-consent rules require that the researcher ensures that the research participants fully understand the details of the research and its purpose before taking part. The researchers should conclusively explain to the research participants why certain research is being conducted and its intended outcome. Confidentiality of data is also essential in psychological research. For instance, the case of Phineas Gage entails personal information and details that required consent from the research participant or the people closely related to him (Cherry, 2022). Data ought to be held confidentially until the owners’ issue permission to have the data publicly shared. Failure to adhere to the APA code of ethics might affect the outcome of research negatively.

Conclusion

Because it enables researchers to better understand how the brain functions, psychological research has become crucial in contemporary culture. Research is the key to understanding psychology, which in some ways makes it simpler for psychologists to help individuals who are experiencing problems or suggest a brand-new idea to enhance how we approach things like learning, parenting, or even starting a new business. Understanding the changes that take place in a person’s capacity to think in a certain way necessitates adequate knowledge of the varied ways in which the brain functions. Psychological research can be conducted through various approaches; longitudinal research methods, case studies, surveys, naturalistic observation, cross-sectional studies, and archival research. Psychological research helps researchers to identify vital details about the brain and how it functions. For instance, the case of Phineas Gage helped to identify that the brain is made up of different parts that function differently.

References

Cherry, K. (2022). Phineas Gage: His Accident and Impact on Psychology. Web.

Kenny, D. A. (2019). Enhancing validity in psychological research. American Psychologist, 74(9), 1018.

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W., & Lovett, M. (2020). Psychology 2e.

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