answersLogoWhite

0

4 most essential limitations of Statistics

Statistics is indispensable to almost all sciences - social, physical and natural. It is very often used in most of the spheres of human activity. In spite of the wide scope of the subject it has certain limitations. Some important limitations of statistics are the following:

1. Statistics does not study qualitative phenomena:

Statistics deals with facts and figures. So the quality aspect of a variable or the subjective phenomenon falls out of the scope of statistics. For example, qualities like beauty, honesty, intelligence etc. cannot be numerically expressed. So these characteristics cannot be examined statistically. This limits the scope of the subject.

2. Statistical laws are not exact:

Statistical laws are not exact as incase of natural sciences. These laws are true only on average. They hold good under certain conditions. They cannot be universally applied. So statistics has less practical utility.

3. Statistics does not study individuals:

Statistics deals with aggregate of facts. Single or isolated figures are not statistics. This is considered to be a major handicap of statistics.

4. Statistics can be misused:

Statistics is mostly a tool of analysis. Statistical techniques are used to analyze and interpret the collected information in an enquiry. As it is, statistics does not prove or disprove anything. It is just a means to an end. Statements supported by statistics are more appealing and are commonly believed. For this, statistics is often misused. Statistical methods rightly used are beneficial but if misused these become harmful. Statistical methods used by less expert hands will lead to inaccurate results. Here the fault does not lie with the subject of statistics but with the person who makes wrong use of it.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Psychology

What is the first step to the scientific method in psychology?

The first step of the scientific method in psychology is to form a research question based on observation or prior knowledge. This step helps to establish a clear direction for the research and sets the foundation for the study to be conducted.


What is the basic way in which psychology differs from false sciences?

Psychology is a valid scientific field that uses empirical evidence and the scientific method to study human behavior and mental processes. False sciences lack empirical evidence, do not adhere to the scientific method, and often make unverifiable claims about human behavior or cognition.


What helped psychology to be recognized as a science?

Key factors that helped psychology to be recognized as a science include the development of the scientific method and the establishment of rigorous research standards to study human behavior and mental processes. Additionally, the emergence of behaviorism with a focus on observable behaviors and experimental psychology further solidified psychology's scientific status.


What procedure led the way to the development and use of the scientific method in psychology?

The development and use of the scientific method in psychology was influenced by empirical research methods and experimentation, as well as the application of principles of logic and critical thinking. Early pioneers such as Wilhelm Wundt and William James played crucial roles in shaping the scientific approach to studying human behavior and mental processes. Their emphasis on systematic observation, data collection, and hypothesis testing laid the foundation for the adoption of the scientific method in psychology.


What are the types of Survey Methods in psychology?

There are various types of survey methods in psychology, including self-report surveys, interviews (structured and unstructured), observational surveys, and online surveys. Each method has its own strengths and limitations, and researchers may choose the method that best fits their research question and goals.

Related Questions

Why is scientific methodology important in psychology?

Psychology is a science (technically). Scientific method allows us to find truths. OK, there is the applied aspect of psychology (e.g., some types of clinical psychology) in which the scientific method is stressed much less.


What are the limitations of a scientific method in research?

windblown experiment


The scientific method is used most often in which of these social science?

psychology


What helped psychology become recognized as a science in 1879?

the scientific method


The advantages of the scientific method in psychology?

its clarity and precision. its relative intolerance of error


This discipline uses the scientific method more than any other social science.?

2 Psychology


The suggestion that psychology is less a set of facts than a method of evaluating ideas best highlights the scientific character of psychology?

True


What is the first step to the scientific method in psychology?

The first step of the scientific method in psychology is to form a research question based on observation or prior knowledge. This step helps to establish a clear direction for the research and sets the foundation for the study to be conducted.


What is scientific psychology?

The word Psychology derives from the Greek words "Psyche," "soul, and "Ology," "the science of." Indeed, like all other branches of Science whether it be Biology or Chemistry, Psychology does follow the scientific method to reach their conclusions. Nothing credible is simply an arbitrary statement. Therefore all Psychology is Scientific.


Limitations of industrial psychology?

limitation of industrial psychology?


What is the basic way in which psychology differs from false sciences?

Psychology is a valid scientific field that uses empirical evidence and the scientific method to study human behavior and mental processes. False sciences lack empirical evidence, do not adhere to the scientific method, and often make unverifiable claims about human behavior or cognition.


What helped psychology to be recognized as a science?

Key factors that helped psychology to be recognized as a science include the development of the scientific method and the establishment of rigorous research standards to study human behavior and mental processes. Additionally, the emergence of behaviorism with a focus on observable behaviors and experimental psychology further solidified psychology's scientific status.