how research helps us in our daily living

10 Importance of Research in Our Daily Life

Table of Contents

In a world filled with information, it’s really important to understand the importance of research in our daily life . Whether you’re a professional in business, a scientist striving for breakthroughs, or a student navigating the academic landscape, research plays a crucial role in shaping your understanding and decisions. We need to conduct research to continually expand our knowledge base and stay informed in an ever-evolving world. In this article, we’ll discuss the reasons why research is important and its importance in our daily life.

Reasons Why Research is Important in Our Daily Life

The reasons why research is important in our daily lives are different and significant. From expanding knowledge to staying updated with the latest advancements, research provides the foundation for progress and knowledge that empowers us in various aspects of our everyday existence.

In addition, understanding how research plays an important role in our life is important, as it not only enhances our ability to gather information but also empowers us to make informed decisions. In jobs and work, research helps us think of new ideas, solve problems, and keep up with what’s happening in different areas.

It helps people learn more, ask questions, and develop a smart way of thinking. Also, doing research encourages us to be curious and keep learning all the time. It helps us see things from different angles and get better at adapting to a world that’s always changing. In the end, research is essential because it helps us improve ourselves and makes society better as a whole.

importance of research in our daily life

What is the Role of Research in Our Life?

Research plays an important role in our lives by helping us understand the world around us and make informed decisions. It is like detective work that scientists, scholars, and experts do to discover new things and find solutions to problems. In simple terms, research helps us answer questions and solve puzzles.

Imagine you have a question like, “How can we make our environment cleaner?” Researchers would study different aspects, like pollution, recycling, and renewable energy, to find the best solutions. This way, research helps us find ways to improve our lives and the world we live in.

Here are the following 10 importance of research in our daily life:

1. Expanding Knowledge Base

Research acts as a door to education and continuous learning. Regardless of your expertise, there is always more to discover about a subject. The process of research opens new paths for learning and personal growth, providing opportunities to build on existing knowledge.

2. Accessing the Latest Information

Staying informed is crucial, especially in dynamic fields. Research encourages the pursuit of the most recent information, preventing the risk of falling behind in rapidly evolving areas. This ensures that your insights are up-to-date and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

3. Understanding the Competitive Landscape

In business and various other domains, understanding what you’re up against is vital. Researching competitors helps in formulating effective plans and strategies, identifying unique selling points, and staying ahead in the market. Beyond business, the research identifies challenges and adversaries, offering solutions and strategies for overcoming them.

4. Building Credibility

Credibility is the foundation of effective communication. Thorough research provides a solid base for ideas and opinions, making it difficult for others to question your knowledge. By relying on reputable sources, your credibility is enhanced, ensuring that your contributions are taken seriously.

5. Economic Development

Research plays a crucial role in driving economic growth. From market trends to consumer behavior, businesses rely on research to make strategic decisions that contribute to their success and, consequently, the economic development of a nation.

6. Exploring New Ideas

Research is the engine of innovation, driving the exploration of new ideas. It fuels creativity and pushes the boundaries of what is possible, leading to breakthroughs in various fields and shaping the world of tomorrow. Research is like a treasure hunt for smart solutions to problems, making life better for everyone. Without research, we might miss out on incredible inventions that could change the way we live!

7. Exploring New Ideas

Research introduces individuals to diverse perspectives and ideas. While individuals may enter the research process with preconceived notions, exposure to various viewpoints encourages openness to new ideas. This dynamic exploration may lead to shifts in opinions or the refinement of existing ones.

8. Facilitating Problem-Solving

Research is a valuable tool for problem-solving . Whether addressing personal or professional challenges, informed decisions are crucial. Through thorough research, individuals gain the necessary information to devise effective solutions, boosting confidence in decision-making.

9. Raising Awareness

The importance of research in raising awareness lies in its ability to provide valuable information and insights about various issues. Through systematic investigation and analysis, research helps uncover facts, trends, and challenges related to critical issues. This information serves as a foundation for creating awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, and advocacy efforts.

10. Cultivating Curiosity

Curiosity is the driving force behind continuous learning. Research nurtures curiosity by exposing individuals to different opinions, ideas, and possibilities. It rewards the innate human desire to explore, ensuring a perpetual state of intellectual growth.

In conclusion, the importance of research in our daily life is deep and complex. It’s not just about school or learning; it becomes a part of how we live every day. Research expands our knowledge base, keeping us in tune with the latest information and helping us understand the competitive landscape, be it in business or personal challenges. Furthermore, recognizing the reasons why research is important in our daily life empowers us to make informed decisions, solve problems effectively, and navigate the complexities of the modern world with confidence.

Moreover, it builds credibility, narrows the overwhelming scope of information, and enhances discernment. Research isn’t just about fixing problems; it helps us understand important things happening in society. It keeps us curious and always learning new stuff. Choosing to study isn’t just a choice; it’s a way to have a smarter, stronger, and more interesting life.

How does research impact your everyday life?

“Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.” – Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

What would the modern world look like without the bedrock of research?

First and foremost – without research, there’s no way you’d possibly be reading this right now, as the Internet was pioneered and developed (via a whole heap of exhaustive research…) by the European Organization for Nuclear Research , or CERN, the same association that produced the Large Hadron Collider.

Without research, we’d likely also be utterly defenceless to the brutal forces of nature. For example, without meteorology, we’d be unable to predict the path of violent storms, hurricanes and tornadoes, while a lack of volcanology research would leave a huge proportion of the world susceptible to the destruction of volcanic eruptions.

And it doesn’t end there.

Medical technology and discovery would be non-existent – no MRi , no anaesthetic, no birth control, no X-Ray machine, no insulin, no IVF, no penicillin, no germ theory, no DNA, and no smallpox vaccination – which, by the way would have wiped out one out of every nine babies had Jenner not researched and found a cure.

Source: University of Surrey

So not only is research an invaluable tool for building on crucial knowledge, it’s also the most reliable way we can begin to understand the complexities of various issues; to maintain our integrity as we disprove lies and uphold important truths; to serve as the seed for analysing convoluted sets of data; as well as to serve as ‘nourishment’, or exercise for the mind.

“…Aside from the pure pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, research is linked to problem solving,” John Armstrong, a respected global higher education and research professional, writes for The Conversation. “What this means is the solving of other people’s problems. That is, what other people experience as problems.

“It starts with a tenderness and ambition that is directed at the needs of others – as they recognise and acknowledge those needs,” he continues. “This is, in effect, entry into a market place. Much research, of course, is conducted in precisely this way beyond the walls of the academy.”

Ultimately, when we begin to look at research for what it truly is – a catalyst for solving complex issues – we begin to understand the impact it truly has on our everyday lives. The University of Surrey , set just a 10 minute walk from the centre of Guildford – ranked the 8 th best place to live in the UK in the Halifax Quality of Life Survey – is a prime example of a university producing high-impact research for the benefit of our global society.

Surrey’s experienced research team found that pollution levels inside cars were found to be up to 40 percent higher while sitting in queues, or at red lights, when compared to free-flowing traffic conditions. And with the World Health Organisation (WHO) placing outdoor air pollution among the top 10 health risks currently facing humans, linking to seven million premature deaths each year, Surrey took on the research challenge of finding an effective solution…

…And boy, did they get the results!

“Where possible and the weather conditional allowing, it is one of the best ways to limit your exposure by keeping windows shut, fans turned off and to try and increase the distance between you and the car in front while at traffic jams or stationary at traffic lights,” says Dr Prashant Kumar, Senior Author of the study. “If the fan or heater needs to be on, the best setting would be to have the air re-circulating within the car without drawing air from outdoors.”

Researchers actually found that closed windows or re-circulated air can reduce in-car pollutants by as much as 76 percent, highlighting how Surrey’s research outcomes could bring a wealth of invaluable global benefits.

As further testament to Surrey’s impactful research success, a study that uncovered high levels of Vitamin D inadequacy among UK adolescents has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , and has now been used to inform crucial national guidance from Public Health England.

“The research has found that adolescence, the time when bone growth is most important in laying down the foundations for later life, is a time when Vitamin D levels are inadequate,” says Dr Taryn Smith, Lead Author of the study. The study forms part of a four-year, EU-funded project, ODIN, which aims to investigate safe and effective ways of boosting Vitamin D intake through food fortification and bio-fortification.

“The ODIN project is investigating ways of improving Vitamin D intake through diet,” continues Dr Smith, “and since it is difficult to obtain Vitamin D intakes of over 10ug/day from food sources alone, it is looking at ways of fortifying our food to improve the Vitamin D levels of the UK population as a whole.”

But the impact of Surrey’s research is broad and all-encompassing, with on-going projects into things like radiotherapy, dementia, blue light and human attentiveness, disaster monitoring, sustainable development, digital storytelling, and beyond. And benefits of research produced at the University of Surrey is not meant for the UK population alone; these are the issues that face us as an increasingly international and interconnected society, making research produced by world-class institutions like Surrey the tools to pave the way to bigger, brighter and healthier global future.

Find out more about studying for a postgraduate degree at Surrey by registering for one of Surrey’s Webinars .

Follow Surrey on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube , Pinterest and LinkedIn

Feature image via Shutterstock

Liked this then you’ll love these….

The global knowledge economy

Why Study Sustainability and Environmental Sciences

A Guide to Using the Scientific Method in Everyday Life

how research helps us in our daily living

The scientific method —the process used by scientists to understand the natural world—has the merit of investigating natural phenomena in a rigorous manner. Working from hypotheses, scientists draw conclusions based on empirical data. These data are validated on large-scale numbers and take into consideration the intrinsic variability of the real world. For people unfamiliar with its intrinsic jargon and formalities, science may seem esoteric. And this is a huge problem: science invites criticism because it is not easily understood. So why is it important, then, that every person understand how science is done?

Because the scientific method is, first of all, a matter of logical reasoning and only afterwards, a procedure to be applied in a laboratory.

Individuals without training in logical reasoning are more easily victims of distorted perspectives about themselves and the world. An example is represented by the so-called “ cognitive biases ”—systematic mistakes that individuals make when they try to think rationally, and which lead to erroneous or inaccurate conclusions. People can easily overestimate the relevance of their own behaviors and choices. They can lack the ability to self-estimate the quality of their performances and thoughts . Unconsciously, they could even end up selecting only the arguments that support their hypothesis or beliefs . This is why the scientific framework should be conceived not only as a mechanism for understanding the natural world, but also as a framework for engaging in logical reasoning and discussion.

A brief history of the scientific method

The scientific method has its roots in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Philosophers Francis Bacon and René Descartes are often credited with formalizing the scientific method because they contrasted the idea that research should be guided by metaphysical pre-conceived concepts of the nature of reality—a position that, at the time, was highly supported by their colleagues . In essence, Bacon thought that inductive reasoning based on empirical observation was critical to the formulation of hypotheses and the generation of new understanding : general or universal principles describing how nature works are derived only from observations of recurring phenomena and data recorded from them. The inductive method was used, for example, by the scientist Rudolf Virchow to formulate the third principle of the notorious cell theory , according to which every cell derives from a pre-existing one. The rationale behind this conclusion is that because all observations of cell behavior show that cells are only derived from other cells, this assertion must be always true.

Inductive reasoning, however, is not immune to mistakes and limitations. Referring back to cell theory, there may be rare occasions in which a cell does not arise from a pre-existing one, even though we haven’t observed it yet—our observations on cell behavior, although numerous, can still benefit from additional observations to either refute or support the conclusion that all cells arise from pre-existing ones. And this is where limited observations can lead to erroneous conclusions reasoned inductively. In another example, if one never has seen a swan that is not white, they might conclude that all swans are white, even when we know that black swans do exist, however rare they may be.

The universally accepted scientific method, as it is used in science laboratories today, is grounded in hypothetico-deductive reasoning . Research progresses via iterative empirical testing of formulated, testable hypotheses (formulated through inductive reasoning). A testable hypothesis is one that can be rejected (falsified) by empirical observations, a concept known as the principle of falsification . Initially, ideas and conjectures are formulated. Experiments are then performed to test them. If the body of evidence fails to reject the hypothesis, the hypothesis stands. It stands however until and unless another (even singular) empirical observation falsifies it. However, just as with inductive reasoning, hypothetico-deductive reasoning is not immune to pitfalls—assumptions built into hypotheses can be shown to be false, thereby nullifying previously unrejected hypotheses. The bottom line is that science does not work to prove anything about the natural world. Instead, it builds hypotheses that explain the natural world and then attempts to find the hole in the reasoning (i.e., it works to disprove things about the natural world).

How do scientists test hypotheses?

Controlled experiments

The word “experiment” can be misleading because it implies a lack of control over the process. Therefore, it is important to understand that science uses controlled experiments in order to test hypotheses and contribute new knowledge. So what exactly is a controlled experiment, then?

Let us take a practical example. Our starting hypothesis is the following: we have a novel drug that we think inhibits the division of cells, meaning that it prevents one cell from dividing into two cells (recall the description of cell theory above). To test this hypothesis, we could treat some cells with the drug on a plate that contains nutrients and fuel required for their survival and division (a standard cell biology assay). If the drug works as expected, the cells should stop dividing. This type of drug might be useful, for example, in treating cancers because slowing or stopping the division of cells would result in the slowing or stopping of tumor growth.

Although this experiment is relatively easy to do, the mere process of doing science means that several experimental variables (like temperature of the cells or drug, dosage, and so on) could play a major role in the experiment. This could result in a failed experiment when the drug actually does work, or it could give the appearance that the drug is working when it is not. Given that these variables cannot be eliminated, scientists always run control experiments in parallel to the real ones, so that the effects of these other variables can be determined. Control experiments are designed so that all variables, with the exception of the one under investigation, are kept constant. In simple terms, the conditions must be identical between the control and the actual experiment.

Coming back to our example, when a drug is administered it is not pure. Often, it is dissolved in a solvent like water or oil. Therefore, the perfect control to the actual experiment would be to administer pure solvent (without the added drug) at the same time and with the same tools, where all other experimental variables (like temperature, as mentioned above) are the same between the two (Figure 1). Any difference in effect on cell division in the actual experiment here can be attributed to an effect of the drug because the effects of the solvent were controlled.

In order to provide evidence of the quality of a single, specific experiment, it needs to be performed multiple times in the same experimental conditions. We call these multiple experiments “replicates” of the experiment (Figure 2). The more replicates of the same experiment, the more confident the scientist can be about the conclusions of that experiment under the given conditions. However, multiple replicates under the same experimental conditions are of no help when scientists aim at acquiring more empirical evidence to support their hypothesis. Instead, they need independent experiments (Figure 3), in their own lab and in other labs across the world, to validate their results.

Often times, especially when a given experiment has been repeated and its outcome is not fully clear, it is better to find alternative experimental assays to test the hypothesis.

Applying the scientific approach to everyday life

So, what can we take from the scientific approach to apply to our everyday lives?

A few weeks ago, I had an agitated conversation with a bunch of friends concerning the following question: What is the definition of intelligence?

Defining “intelligence” is not easy. At the beginning of the conversation, everybody had a different, “personal” conception of intelligence in mind, which – tacitly – implied that the conversation could have taken several different directions. We realized rather soon that someone thought that an intelligent person is whoever is able to adapt faster to new situations; someone else thought that an intelligent person is whoever is able to deal with other people and empathize with them. Personally, I thought that an intelligent person is whoever displays high cognitive skills, especially in abstract reasoning.

The scientific method has the merit of providing a reference system, with precise protocols and rules to follow. Remember: experiments must be reproducible, which means that an independent scientists in a different laboratory, when provided with the same equipment and protocols, should get comparable results. Fruitful conversations as well need precise language, a kind of reference vocabulary everybody should agree upon, in order to discuss about the same “content”. This is something we often forget, something that was somehow missing at the opening of the aforementioned conversation: even among friends, we should always agree on premises, and define them in a rigorous manner, so that they are the same for everybody. When speaking about “intelligence”, we must all make sure we understand meaning and context of the vocabulary adopted in the debate (Figure 4, point 1). This is the first step of “controlling” a conversation.

There is another downside that a discussion well-grounded in a scientific framework would avoid. The mistake is not structuring the debate so that all its elements, except for the one under investigation, are kept constant (Figure 4, point 2). This is particularly true when people aim at making comparisons between groups to support their claim. For example, they may try to define what intelligence is by comparing the achievements in life of different individuals: “Stephen Hawking is a brilliant example of intelligence because of his great contribution to the physics of black holes”. This statement does not help to define what intelligence is, simply because it compares Stephen Hawking, a famous and exceptional physicist, to any other person, who statistically speaking, knows nothing about physics. Hawking first went to the University of Oxford, then he moved to the University of Cambridge. He was in contact with the most influential physicists on Earth. Other people were not. All of this, of course, does not disprove Hawking’s intelligence; but from a logical and methodological point of view, given the multitude of variables included in this comparison, it cannot prove it. Thus, the sentence “Stephen Hawking is a brilliant example of intelligence because of his great contribution to the physics of black holes” is not a valid argument to describe what intelligence is. If we really intend to approximate a definition of intelligence, Steven Hawking should be compared to other physicists, even better if they were Hawking’s classmates at the time of college, and colleagues afterwards during years of academic research.

In simple terms, as scientists do in the lab, while debating we should try to compare groups of elements that display identical, or highly similar, features. As previously mentioned, all variables – except for the one under investigation – must be kept constant.

This insightful piece presents a detailed analysis of how and why science can help to develop critical thinking.

In a nutshell

Here is how to approach a daily conversation in a rigorous, scientific manner:

First discuss about the reference vocabulary, then discuss about the content of the discussion. Think about a researcher who is writing down an experimental protocol that will be used by thousands of other scientists in varying continents. If the protocol is rigorously written, all scientists using it should get comparable experimental outcomes. In science this means reproducible knowledge, in daily life this means fruitful conversations in which individuals are on the same page.
Adopt “controlled” arguments to support your claims. When making comparisons between groups, visualize two blank scenarios. As you start to add details to both of them, you have two options. If your aim is to hide a specific detail, the better is to design the two scenarios in a completely different manner—it is to increase the variables. But if your intention is to help the observer to isolate a specific detail, the better is to design identical scenarios, with the exception of the intended detail—it is therefore to keep most of the variables constant. This is precisely how scientists ideate adequate experiments to isolate new pieces of knowledge, and how individuals should orchestrate their thoughts in order to test them and facilitate their comprehension to others.

Not only the scientific method should offer individuals an elitist way to investigate reality, but also an accessible tool to properly reason and discuss about it.

Edited by Jason Organ, PhD, Indiana University School of Medicine.

Simone is a molecular biologist on the verge of obtaining a doctoral title at the University of Ulm, Germany. He is Vice-Director at Culturico (https://culturico.com/), where his writings span from Literature to Sociology, from Philosophy to Science. His writings recently appeared in Psychology Today, openDemocracy, Splice Today, Merion West, Uncommon Ground and The Society Pages. Follow Simone on Twitter: @simredaelli

Pingback: Case Studies in Ethical Thinking: Day 1 | Education & Erudition

This has to be the best article I have ever read on Scientific Thinking. I am presently writing a treatise on how Scientific thinking can be adopted to entreat all situations.And how, a 4 year old child can be taught to adopt Scientific thinking, so that, the child can look at situations that bothers her and she could try to think about that situation by formulating the right questions. She may not have the tools to find right answers? But, forming questions by using right technique ? May just make her find a way to put her mind to rest even at that level. That is why, 4 year olds are often “eerily: (!)intelligent, I have iften been intimidated and plain embarrassed to see an intelligent and well spoken 4 year old deal with celibrity ! Of course, there are a lot of variables that have to be kept in mind in order to train children in such controlled thinking environment, as the screenplay of little Sheldon shows. Thanking the author with all my heart – #ershadspeak #wearescience #weareallscientists Ershad Khandker

Simone, thank you for this article. I have the idea that I want to apply what I learned in Biology to everyday life. You addressed this issue, and have given some basic steps in using the scientific method.

Search form

October 2021

Print this issue

Health Capsule

How Research Works

Have you ever wondered what it means to “follow the science?” Sometimes it may seem like what’s true one day changes the next. But when what we know changes, it often means science is working.

Research helps us understand the world through careful testing. Each advance builds on past discoveries. This process can take a long time. But the end result is a better understanding of the world around us.

In general, the scientific process follows many steps. First, scientists start with a question. They look at past research to see what others have learned. Different scientists have diverse skills and training. They each bring their own approaches and ideas. And they design new experiments to test their ideas.

Next, scientists perform their experiments and collect data. Then, they evaluate what their findings might mean. This often leads them to new questions and ideas to test.

The next step is to share their data and ideas with other scientists. Other experts can give new perspectives or point out problems.

It’s natural to want answers. But it’s important not to draw conclusions based on a single study. Scientists start to form conclusions only after looking at many studies over time. Sometimes, even these conclusions change with more evidence. Science is an evolving process. But it’s the best way we have to seek out answers.

NIH has created a one-page guide to explain more about how research works. Find the guide in English or Spanish .

Scientific and technological breakthroughs generated by NIH research have helped more people in the United States and all over the world live longer, healthier lives. These advancements were achieved by making disease less deadly through effective interventions to prevent and treat illness and disability.

obesity-thumb.jpg

Obesity and Nutrition

Obesity puts people at risk for many health issues including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and certain types of cancer.

osteoarthritis.jpg

Over the past decades, scientists have made important strides toward helping people manage osteoarthritis.

Oral pathogen invasion of human gum cells

Oral Health

NIH researchers consider the mouth an expansive living laboratory to understand infections, cancer, and even healthy development processes.

Thanks to NIH research, we know a lot about the underlying causes of vision loss.

« Previous: Transformative Technologies Next: The Promise of Precision Medicine »

This page last reviewed on November 16, 2023

Connect with Us

More Social Media from NIH

Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

Mind & Body Articles & More

How science helps us find the good, looking back at 10 years of writing about the science of human goodness for greater good , jeremy adam smith discovers that the bad and good—and the inner and outer—go hand in hand..

I’ve been covering the science of human goodness, off and on, for almost 10 years. In that time, I’ve seen a dramatic transformation in the way scientists understand how and why we love, thank, empathize, cooperate, and care for each other.

Of course, “goodness” doesn’t seem like a very scientific concept. It sounds downright squishy to many people, and thus unworthy of study. But you can count acts of goodness—and all science begins with counting. It’s the counting that has started to change our understanding of human life.

For example, in a study published in the January edition of the journal Mindfulness , psychologists C. Daryl Cameron and Barbara Fredrickson asked 313 adults if they had helped anyone during the previous week. Eighty-five percent said they had—by, say, listening to a friend’s problems, babysitting, donating to charity, or volunteering.

This small study reveals a truth that is consistently demonstrated in many domains of research: that daily human life is not characterized by violence, exploitation, or indifference. Far from it. The research—that is, the counting—reveals that we care deeply for one other, and that we would rather help our fellow beings than not. Even more, the science shows that refusing to help others can have debilitating, long-term mental and physical consequences for ourselves. Isolation hurts, physically ; so does aggression. Every angry word we utter fries neurons and wears out our hearts.

When I first started to write about the research, that was big news: Wow, human life isn’t as bad as we thought it was! Acts of goodness yield physical rewards! Good thoughts are good for our bodies! These insights led to a lot of predictably Pollyannaish media coverage.

But as the years went on, the science of goodness grew more complex. Scientists started to look at how the good and the bad interact. The study by Cameron and Fredrickson explores how we feel when we’re helping others, and they found that quite a few participants didn’t feel good at all. These people helped others out of a sense of obligation, and they felt disgust, contempt, stress, or resentment toward those they helped.

Today, the science of human goodness reveals that good and bad go hand in hand, and what ties us together can also tear us apart. So the important question becomes: How can I cultivate the good? The empirical answer to that question contains some surprises. Just as good and bad are linked, the science reveals how inextricably our inner world and the external one are tied together.

This is what the research currently suggests: If you want to find and foster the good in society, you need to start by searching for the goodness inside yourself.

The science of evil

You’ve probably heard of the famous Stanford Prison experiment. In 1971, the US Navy asked professor Philip Zimbardo to study the psychological effects of prison conditions. He did this by recruiting twenty-four young men as either guards or prisoners for a mock jail in the basement of the Stanford psychology building.

The results of the “experiment” are often cited as evidence for the innate depravity of human beings. Things went horribly wrong in the mock jail, as the guards brutally abused their authority and the prisoners turned on each other. Zimbardo himself was caught up in the inhumanity of the situation he had created.

The story of the Stanford Prison experiment has been told and re-told countless times, despite the fact that it’s widely considered to be an example of science gone wrong and its results have never been replicated. (There is even a new film about the experiment, starring Billy Crudup.)

Why are we so fascinated by this study in evil—as Zimbardo often calls it—and why does the word “evil” sound so much more serious and hard-edged than good?

Part of the answer lies in our inborn negativity bias. This is our hardwired tendency to notice and amplify threats. It explains why so many people tend to believe that human life is brutal and cold, despite all evidence to the contrary. Negativity bias is essential to natural selection: people who run away from a man with a gun or a car running a red light are more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation. And these harrowing moments are more likely to burn themselves into our neurons than the gentle ones, so that we can avoid similar threats in the future.

The Stanford Prison experiment fascinates us in part because of its highly concentrated negativity. We’re really good at focusing the spotlight of our attention on things we think might hurt us.

But what happens when we put a spotlight on one thing? Everything else is thrown into darkness, as psychologist Paul Gilbert points out . This means we miss the good things that are outside of the spotlight. Something else happens as well: When we focus on bad things, we’re triggering the stress response, often below conscious awareness. If you think of the Stanford Prison experiment as a kind of model of real life—if you conceive of yourself as living in the equivalent of that basement—then you’re going to be stressed.

What is stress? As another Stanford professor, Robert Sapolsky , likes to say, stress is a tool nature gave us to survive lion attacks.

Of course, you’re not a primate on the African savannah menaced by lions. You’re a modern human who, for example, might be caught in a traffic jam. The spotlight of your attention—a mechanism built for a time when threats were much simpler—is focused only on your destination, which seems to be getting further and further away. The miracles that surround you escape your notice, like the fact that a trip that takes sixty minutes in your car would have taken your ancestors the better part of a day.

So what do you do instead of appreciating the good things? Sitting in that traffic jam, you turn the other cars into lions, and you feel threatened. You might shout obscenities, or scare your kids by pounding on the steering wheel. And yet—somehow!—this activity does not make the cars move any faster. Instead, the stress hurts you and others , mentally and physically. This evolutionary confusion is one of the tragedies of modern life.

You don’t need a Ph.D. to figure this out. Here’s an experiment you can perform right now, as you read this article:

Think about something stressful that happened to you during the past week. Now scan your body: How does your chest, stomach, or neck feel?
Then think about something good that happened during the same period, however small. Now what happens in your body?

Did you feel any difference, according to where your attention was focused? The research predicts that the stressful memory caused you physical discomfort—and it also predicts that too much long-term stress can take years off of your life, without fixing the problem. Your tight chest and clenched stomach doesn’t make the world a better place. In fact, it can make everything worse.

So what can you do? How do you bring out the good in yourself when your savannah-bred instincts tell you to scream and run people over with your car?

Counting the good things

Science has an answer, and it starts with counting. The questions you have to ask yourself are these:

Am I counting the good things, too?
Am I taking the time to shine light on things that make me happy and give my life meaning?
Who thanked me today?
To whom did I feel grateful?
What acts of kindness or cooperation did I witness?

This is the essence of that much-maligned term “positive thinking”: we make it a goal to count the good things in life. That doesn’t mean we ignore the bad. Undeniably there are threats in the world, to our own well-being and that of others. There are also threats within ourselves—selfishness, laziness, short-sightedness, and so on. But all too often our negativity bias leads us to see only the bad, in other people as well as in ourselves.

When we try to think positively, we are making a conscious, cognitive effort to correct for our natural and understandable tendency to focus on threats. By counting the good things, we see reality more clearly.

Sometimes, seeing the good takes enormous personal strength, because we need to overcome the great power of the stress-induced, fight-or-flight response.

Let’s go back to the Stanford Prison experiment—and the career of Philip Zimbardo. His work didn’t stop in 1971. As the decades went on, Zimbardo moved beyond evil. He started asking himself how to cultivate the good in people. In recent years, he has studied heroism, the willingness to make sacrifices on behalf of other people. “The two lines of research aren’t as different as they might seem; they’re actually two sides of the same coin,” writes Zimbardo in Greater Good . He continues:

Some people argue humans are born good or born bad; I think that’s nonsense. We are all born with this tremendous capacity to be anything, and we get shaped by our circumstances—by the family or the culture or the time period in which we happen to grow up, which are accidents of birth; whether we grow up in a war zone versus peace; if we grow up in poverty rather than prosperity.

That statement encapsulates thirty years of scientific research into human goodness. Negativity bias isn’t the whole story. There’s more to us than fight or flight.

The interesting thing is that even in extreme circumstances, humans will override their habitual or instinctive responses. And when we do fight, we won’t just fight for ourselves. We can and do fight for others. If a certain kind of person sees a child walking in front of a car, she’ll put herself at risk to knock the child out of the way. Some individuals will deliberately put themselves between a gun and other people. We can and do override our short-term self-interest, all the time. Every day, some of us put ourselves in harm’s way so that others can live.

That heroic impulse is what Zimbardo now studies. He has researched who is most likely to commit heroic acts, and the prosaic answers include: black people more than whites, those who have experienced violence or disaster before, and people with more education. But he has also found that heroism is a skill. People are more likely to make sacrifices on behalf of others when they’ve made a conscious commitment to heroism and are trained to act heroically.

Helping people to cultivate such skills is one of the most important things we do at the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. We recently launched a new site, Greater Good in Action , which offers concrete, research-tested practices for individuals to cultivate strengths like awe, gratitude, empathy, and compassion.

This is the work of a lifetime. Changing yourself is no simple task. And changing the world? That can seem impossible.

Going from inner to outer

Writers like Barbara Ehrenreich and Oliver Burkeman have criticized positive thinking as a tool of social control. If you’re grateful for everything, they ask, how can you possibly see what’s wrong in the world? Does a focus on perfecting yourself mean that you ignore improving society?

I think it’s true that these are dangers to guard against, but research like Zimbardo’s—which includes nonviolent civil disobedience as an example of heroism—finds specific steps we can take to develop a more caring society, ones the critics might dismiss as self-centered or wishful thinking.

Remember the study of helping behavior by Cameron and Fredrickson that I mentioned at the beginning? They hypothesized that two mindful traits—a focus on the present moment and a non-judgmental acceptance of thoughts and experiences—would help people feel better about helping others.

The research confirmed their hypothesis: present-focused attention and non-judgmental acceptance both predicted more helping behavior. Mindful participants were more likely to experience emotions like compassion, joy, or elevation while giving help. In part this was because mindfulness helped them to put their own anxiety aside in order to focus on the needs of others. They just felt better when helping people, which likely led them to engage in more helping behavior in general.

It’s a result echoed in other studies. Paul Condon of Northeastern University and his colleagues put study participants through an eight-week mindfulness course. After the course, the meditators were called into a waiting room with no empty seats. An actress working for the researchers limped in on crutches and leaned against a wall. The researchers created the same situation for a group who didn’t go through the mindfulness course.

Here’s what they found: members of the group that studied mindfulness meditation were five times more likely to give up their seat to the woman on crutches than those who didn’t. The upshot of these two studies is that cultivating awareness of your own thoughts, feelings, and surroundings makes you more likely to see and meet the needs of others.

Mindfulness is also linked to greater compassion for ourselves—in other words, mindful people are quicker to comfort themselves when they screw up. The critics might think they’re just letting themselves off the hook, but the research says otherwise.

“We think we need to beat ourselves up if we make mistakes so that we won’t do it again,” said University of Texas psychologist Kristin Neff in a Greater Good interview . She continues:

But that’s completely counterproductive. Self-criticism is very strongly linked to depression. And depression is antithetical to motivation: You’re unable to be motivated to change if you’re depressed. It causes you to lose faith in yourself, and that’s going to make you less likely to try to change and conditions you for failure.

Mindfulness and self-compassion are also turning out to be tools to correct for different forms of implicit bias, such as racial discrimination. This shouldn’t surprise us. Too often, we believe that people are either racist or they’re not—but new research finds that’s just not true. As David Amodio, Susan Fiske, and other scientists have documented, everyone is prone to kneejerk bias. The trick is to cultivate enough self-awareness to know when you are being biased—to see the world as it is, not what we fear it is. This is what allows us to override automatic associations.

Several studies—most recently by Adam Lueke and Brian Gibson of Central Michigan University—find that even very brief training for young white people in mindfulness seems to limit unconscious negative reactions to black faces. This is perhaps because awareness of one’s own impulses can help us to override them. Many police departments are now training officers to be aware of the implicit biases that influence split-second decision-making.

To me, nothing better reveals the relationship between our inner lives and our social reality than the fight against implicit bias. Given the pervasive impact of racism—from the psychological insecurity it creates in minority communities to the huge gaps in wealth between different racial groups—I think we all have a responsibility to search inside ourselves for signs of bias.

But it can’t stop at just recognizing the problem. We also have to find the good in ourselves. We can start by recognizing that bias toward your own group isn’t a sign of your innate evil. It’s a sign that you are human. The next step is to forgive yourself, for these are feelings that all human beings have at one time or another. In forgiving ourselves, we open the door to forgiving others, and in forgiveness , we create the possibility for widespread social change. The very idea of forgiveness always implies that change is possible. From there, we can find the part of ourselves that wants to be fair to everyone , and embrace that as a goal. Like heroism, egalitarianism is a skill we can learn, a natural propensity that we can cultivate.

When we grow as individuals, we grow as a species. As we evolve together, let us count each act of love, empathy, and compassion, and not take our goodness for granted. In our distant evolutionary past, our survival depended on attention to the negative. Today, it may depend on our awareness of the good.

About the Author

Jeremy Adam Smith

Uc berkeley.

Jeremy Adam Smith edits the GGSC's online magazine, Greater Good . He is also the author or coeditor of five books, including The Daddy Shift , Are We Born Racist? , and (most recently) The Gratitude Project: How the Science of Thankfulness Can Rewire Our Brains for Resilience, Optimism, and the Greater Good . Before joining the GGSC, Jeremy was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University.

You May Also Enjoy

This article — and everything on this site — is funded by readers like you.

Become a subscribing member today. Help us continue to bring “the science of a meaningful life” to you and to millions around the globe.

Jacks Of Science

Simple Answers to Scientific Questions

Importance Of Research In Daily Life

Whether we are students, professionals, or stay-at-home parents, we all need to do research on a daily basis.

The reason?

Research helps us make informed decisions.

It allows us to learn about new things, and it teaches us how to think critically.

There is an importance of research in daily life.

Let’s discuss the importance of research in our daily lives and how it can help us achieve our goals!

6 ways research plays an important role in our daily lives.

It leads to new discoveries and innovations that improve our lives. Many of the technologies we rely on today are the result of research in fields like medicine, computer science, engineering, etc. Things like smartphones, wifi, GPS, and medical treatments were made possible by research.
It informs policy making. Research provides data and evidence that allows policymakers to make more informed decisions on issues that impact society, whether it’s related to health, education, the economy, or other areas. Research gives insights into problems.
It spreads knowledge and awareness. The research contributes new information and facts to various fields and disciplines. The sharing of research educates people on new topics, ideas, social issues, etc. It provides context for understanding the world.
It drives progress and change. Research challenges existing notions, tests new theories and hypotheses, and pushes boundaries of what’s known. Pushing the frontiers of knowledge through research is key for advancement. Even when research invalidates ideas, it leads to progress.
It develops critical thinking skills. The research process itself – asking questions, collecting data, analyzing results, drawing conclusions – builds logic, problem-solving, and cognitive skills that benefit individuals in their professional and personal lives.
It fuels innovation and the economy. Research leads to the development of new products and services that create jobs and improve productivity in the marketplace. Private sector research drives economic growth.

So while not always visible, research underlies much of our technological, social, economic, and human progress. It’s a building block for society.

Conducting quality research and using it to maximum benefit is key.

Research is important in everyday life because it allows us to make informed decisions about the things that matter most to us.

Whether we’re researching a new car before making a purchase, studying for an important test, or looking into different treatment options for a health issue, research allows us to get the facts and make the best choices for ourselves and our families.

In today’s world, there’s so much information available at our fingertips, and research is more accessible than ever.
The internet has made it possible for anyone with an interest in doing research to access vast amounts of information in a short amount of time.

This is both a blessing and a curse; while it’s great that we have so much information available to us, it can be overwhelming to try to sort through everything and find the most reliable sources.

What is the importance of research in our daily life?

Research is essential to our daily lives.

It helps us to make informed decisions about everything from the food we eat to the medicines we take.
It also allows us to better understand the world around us and find solutions to problems.

In short, research is essential for our health, safety, and well-being. Without it, we would be living in a world of ignorance and misinformation.

What is the importance of research in our daily lives as a student?

Research allows us to make informed decisions

As a student, research plays an important role in our daily life. It helps us to gain knowledge and understanding of the world around us.

It also allows us to develop new skills and perspectives.
In addition, research helps us to innovate and create new things.
Research is essential for students because it helps us to learn about the world around us. Without research, we would be limited to our own personal experiences and observations.
Research allows us to go beyond our personal bubble and explore new ideas and concepts.
It also gives us the opportunity to develop new skills and perspectives.
In addition, research is important because it helps us to innovate and create new things. When we conduct research , we are constantly learning new information that can be used to create something new.

This could be anything from a new product or service to a new way of doing things.

Research is essential for students because it allows us to be innovative and create new things that can make a difference in the world.

Consequently, while each person’s daily life routine might differ based on their unique circumstances, the role that research plays in our lives as students is an integral one nonetheless.

Different though our routines might be, the value of research in our lives shines through brightly regardless. And that importance cannot be overstated .

How does research affect your daily life?

a man studying and doing Practical Research

Every day, we benefit from the countless hours of research that have been conducted by scientists and scholars around the world.

From the moment we wake up in the morning to the time we go to bed at night, we rely on research to improve our lives in a variety of ways.
For instance, many of the items we use every day, such as our phones and laptops, are the result of years of research and development.
And when we see a news story about a new medical breakthrough or a natural disaster, it is often the result of research that has been conducted over a long period of time.

In short, research affects our daily lives in countless ways, both big and small. Without it, we would be living in a very different world.

What are the purposes of research?

Research contributes new information and facts to various fields and disciplines

The word “research” is used in a variety of ways. In its broadest sense, research includes any gathering of data, information, and facts for the advancement of knowledge.

Whether you are looking for a new recipe or trying to find a cure for cancer, the process of research is the same.

You start with a question or an area of interest and then use different sources to find information that will help you answer that question or learn more about that topic.

“The purpose of research is to find answers to questions, solve problems, or develop new knowledge.”

It is an essential tool in business , education, science, and many other fields. By conducting research, we can learn about the world around us and make it a better place.

How to do effective research

Research is essential to our daily lives and growing

Research is a process of uncovering facts and information about a subject.

It is usually done when preparing for an assignment or project and can be either primary research, which involves collecting data yourself, or secondary research, which involves finding existing data.

Regardless of the type of research you do, there are some effective strategies that will help you get the most out of your efforts:

First, start by clearly defining your topic and what you hope to learn. This will help you to focus your search and find relevant information more quickly.
Once you know what you’re looking for, try using keyword searches to find websites, articles, and other resources that are relevant to your topic.
When evaluating each source, be sure to consider its reliability and biases.
Finally, take good notes as you read, and make sure to keep track of where each piece of information came from so that you can easily cite it later.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your research is both thorough and accurate.

How to use research to achieve your goals.

Achieving your goals requires careful planning and a lot of hard work.

But even the best-laid plans can sometimes go awry.

That’s where research comes in.

By taking the time to do your homework, you can increase your chances of success while also learning more about your topic of interest.

When it comes to goal-setting, research can help you to identify realistic targets and develop a roadmap for achieving them.

It can also provide valuable insights into potential obstacles and how to overcome them.

In short, research is an essential tool for anyone who wants to achieve their goals.

So if you’re serious about reaching your target, be sure to do your homework first.

So the next time you are faced with a decision, don’t forget to do your research!

It could very well be the most important thing you do all day.

Jacks of Science sources the most authoritative, trustworthy, and highly recognized institutions for our article research. Learn more about our Editorial Teams process and diligence in verifying the accuracy of every article we publish.

Taylor is a long-time tenured Staff Writer on the Jacks of Science team. She has been paramount in the diversity of scientific categories J.O.S. can cover. While Taylor's specialty is in astronomy and physics, she loves diving into more 'ground' things here on earth too.

View all posts

Bipolar Disorder
Therapy Center
When To See a Therapist
Types of Therapy
Best Online Therapy
Best Couples Therapy
Best Family Therapy
Managing Stress
Sleep and Dreaming
Understanding Emotions
Self-Improvement
Healthy Relationships
Student Resources
Personality Types
Guided Meditations
Verywell Mind Insights
2023 Verywell Mind 25
Mental Health in the Classroom
Editorial Process
Meet Our Review Board
Crisis Support

How Psychology Can Improve Your Life

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time.

How can psychology apply to your everyday life? Do you think that psychology is just for students, academics, and therapists? Think again. Because psychology is both an applied and a theoretical subject, it can be used in a number of ways.

While research studies aren't exactly light reading material for the average person, the results of these experiments and studies can have significant applications in daily life. The following are some practical uses for psychology in everyday life.

Whether your goal is to quit smoking, lose weight, or learn a new language, lessons from psychology offer tips for getting motivated. To increase your motivational levels when approaching a task, use strategies derived from research in cognitive and educational psychology .

Introduce new or novel elements to keep your interest high.
Vary repetitive sequences to help stave off boredom.
Learn new things that build on your existing knowledge.
Set clear goals that are directly related to the task.
Reward yourself for a job well done.

It doesn’t matter if you’re an office manager or a volunteer at a local youth group: Having good leadership skills will probably be essential at some point in your life. Not everyone is a born leader, but a few simple tips gleaned from psychological research can help you be a better leader.

One of the most famous studies on this topic looked at three distinct leadership styles . Based on the findings of this study and subsequent research, practice some of the following when you are in a leadership position.

Offer clear guidance, but allow group members to voice opinions.
Talk about possible solutions with members of the group.
Focus on stimulating ideas and be willing to reward creativity.

Communication

Communication involves much more than how you speak or write. Research suggests that nonverbal signals make up a huge portion of our interpersonal communications. To communicate your message effectively, you need to learn how to express yourself nonverbally and to read the nonverbal cues of those around you.

Use good eye contact.
Start noticing nonverbal signals in others.
Learn to use your tone of voice to reinforce your message.

Emotional Intelligence

Much like nonverbal communication, the ability to understand your emotions and the emotions of those around you plays an important role in your relationships and professional life. The term emotional intelligence refers to your ability to understand both your own emotions and those of other people.

Your emotional intelligence quotient is a measure of this ability. According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, your EQ may actually be more important than your IQ. To become more emotionally intelligent, consider some of the following strategies.

Carefully assess your own emotional reactions.
Record your experiences and emotions in a journal.
Try to see situations from the perspective of another person.

Decision-Making

Research in cognitive psychology has provided a wealth of information about decision making. By applying these strategies to your life, you can learn to make wiser choices. The next time you need to make a big decision, try using some of these techniques.

Use the “six thinking hats” approach by looking at the situation from multiple points of view, including rational, emotional, intuitive, creative, positive, and negative perspectives.
Consider the potential costs and benefits of a decision.
Employ a grid analysis technique that gives a score for how a particular decision will satisfy specific requirements you may have.

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With Decision Fatigue

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to manage feelings of decision fatigue and how you can avoid it. Click below to listen now.

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Have you ever wondered why you can remember the exact details of childhood events, yet forget the name of the new client you met yesterday? Research on how we form new memories as well as how and why we forget has led to a number of findings that can be applied directly in your daily life. To increase your memory power:

Focus on the information.
Rehearse what you have learned.
Eliminate distractions.

Money Management

Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman and his colleague Amos Tversky conducted a series of studies that looked at how people manage uncertainty and risk when making decisions. Subsequent research in this area, known as behavior economics, has yielded some key findings that you can use to manage your money more wisely.

One study found that workers could more than triple their savings by using some of the following strategies.

Don’t procrastinate. Start investing in savings now.
Commit in advance to devote portions of your future earnings to your retirement savings.
Try to be aware of personal biases that may lead to poor money choices.

Academic Success

The next time you're tempted to complain about pop quizzes, midterms, or final exams, consider that research has demonstrated that taking tests actually helps you better remember what you've learned, even if it wasn't covered on the test.

A study found that repeated test-taking may be a better memory aid than studying. Students who were tested repeatedly were able to recall 61% of the material, while those in the study group recalled only 40%. How can you apply these findings to your own life? When trying to learn new information, self-test frequently in order to cement what you have learned into your memory.

Productivity

There are thousands of books and magazine articles telling us how to get more done, but how much of this advice is founded on actual research? Take the belief that multitasking can help you be more productive. In reality, research has found that trying to perform more than one task at a time seriously impairs speed, accuracy, and productivity. Use lessons from psychology to increase your productivity more effectively.

Avoid multitasking when working on complex or dangerous tasks.
Focus on the task at hand.

Psychology can also be a useful tool for improving your overall health. From ways to encourage exercise and better nutrition to new treatments for depression, the field of health psychology offers a wealth of beneficial strategies that can help you to be healthier and happier.

Studies have shown that both sunlight and artificial light can reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.
Research has demonstrated that exercise can contribute to greater psychological well-being.
Studies have found that helping people understand the risks of unhealthy behaviors can lead to healthier choices.

Thaler RH, Benartzi S. Save More Tomorrow™: Using behavioral economics to increase employee saving . J Political Econ . 2004;112(S1):S164-187. doi:10.1086/380085

Chan JC, McDermott KB, Roediger HL. Retrieval-induced facilitation: initially nontested material can benefit from prior testing of related material . J Exp Psychol Gen . 2006;135(4):553-71. doi:10.1037/0096-3445.135.4.553

Ophir E, Nass C, Wagner AD. Cognitive control in media multitaskers . Proc Natl Acad Sci USA . 2009;106(37):15583-7. doi:10.1073/pnas.0903620106

Solberg PA, Halvari H, Ommundsen Y, Hopkins WG. A 1-year follow-up of effects of exercise programs on well-being in older adults . J Aging Phys Act . 2014;22(1):52-64. doi:10.1123/japa.2012-0181

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Skip to primary navigation
Skip to main content
Skip to footer

Understanding Science

How science REALLY works...

Teaching resources

Found 3 resources for the concept: Scientific knowledge helps us make decisions that affect our lives every day.

How science works

Grade Level(s):

California Academy of Sciences

Resource type:

Science Story

Discipline:

Life Science

Time: 10 minutes

This Science in Action video uses the Understanding Science Flowchart to follow arachnologist Charles Griswold and colleagues as they describe the process involved in an exciting new spider discovery.

View details »

Hydrogeology: Learning by discovery in an urban environment

On the Cutting Edge
field-based investigation
Earth science

Time: Quarter-long project

This is an example of a student-driven, instructor-guided field experiments on a budget. Schools that cater to under-represented students are often those with limited resources, however, student-driven discovery in the field is an effective tool for engaging students in the natural environment and in hydrogeology. Effective strategies for addressing the special needs of urban students are included.

Ozone depletion: Uncovering the hidden hazard of hairspray

UC Museum of Paleontology
Physical Sciences

Time: 2 hours

Follow a group of scientists from around the world as they work together to understand - and then help fix - a problem that threatens the future of the planet: a hole in the ozone layer. Get tips for using science stories in class .

Subscribe to our newsletter

Understanding Science 101
The science flowchart
Science stories
Grade-level teaching guides
Teaching resource database
Journaling tool
Misconceptions

Research and Its Importance for Daily Life Essay

Introduction, impact of research, qualities of effective research, role of beliefs and values.

Research plays an important role in science. This is normally done to obtain detailed knowledge about certain aspects before an invention. Scientific research involves the study of diseases and other parameters to invent medicine and vaccines. Therefore, without research, there will be no inventions and therefore a big blow to health. Essentially research fulfils purposes that are designed before the exercise. However, apart from that, research has other implications on reality and daily lives. As a result, the effects of research go beyond the purpose it is meant for. This paper aims to take an analytical look at the concept of research. The paper will begin with a detailed look at the concept of research. Thereafter, the several similarities between different aspects of research will be analyzed. The impact of research on our daily life will also be reviewed.

Research has a lot of impact on the daily functioning of life. First and foremost, research leads to a better life by producing results that can be used to make life better. Especially as far as scientific research is concerned, the invention of vaccines and medicines makes diseases to be less of a threat to society (Calderon & Slavin 2001). Therefore, through the process of research, various methods of handling life’s problems and making the world a better place to live in are facilitated. Secondly, the very process of research affects society in several ways. The impact of the process of research has two dimensions.

The first part is the negative part in which the process of research has certain consequences for society. Unethical practices harm society. Since research is done on people in society, the practices adopted by the researchers have a lot of impacts. Scientific research has left some people with serious illnesses and injuries sometimes; it is like experimenting with people’s life. However, the process of research also has positive effects on society (McGill 1981). This is mainly because of employment opportunities, awareness and education. Research offers vast opportunities to the members of society to learn and obtain understanding about certain issues. At the same time, the participants of the research are remunerated making them earn a living from the same.

Several factors denote effective and valid research. To conduct valid or effective research, therefore, several considerations must be in place. First is the aspect of ethics, for research to be valid it must be conducted ethically. This involves the practices adopted for the research (Cresswell 2003). If the research involves risks, this must be communicated to the participants in advance. At the same time plans must be in place to compensate all those that will be affected in the course of the research. The disbursing of information is necessary before the research. This is important to take care of deception which is rampant in research. In general, proper preparation and education of the participants is the key to successful research. Another crucial requirement is the availability of resources for research.

Several forms of research involve a different processes. As a result, not all forms of research involve vigour. For instance, scientific research on diseases is more demanding than research on recreational issues. This is due to the context of the studies and the parameters involved. For instance, scientific research involves several processes and procedures which tend to take more resources. Recreational issues, on the other hand, are less involved due to the nature of the subject. The research can therefore be conducted with much ease.

Beliefs and values have a lot of impact on the process of research. People’s beliefs, therefore, influence the outcome and process of research. This is due to the relevance that beliefs and values have on people’s perception and philosophy of life. For instance, certain topics are considered sacred and secret in certain societies (Bryant 2005). Their beliefs don’t allow them to discuss certain things. Therefore in the process of collecting information from such people, it becomes very difficult to deal with them. People’s values also play a huge role. Some people are flexible in certain areas than others. Therefore, when conducting research one must understand the values of all participants. This is because their values determine how they approach certain issues. Religion plays a great role in determining the beliefs and values of people.

Research is part and parcel of life, in fact without research life will not be as it is. To live better life research is necessary; this is because research leads to innovation and invention. As far as science is concerned research leads to the invention of vaccines and drugs. Other areas of research also lead to a better understanding of the concepts involved. However, it is not only the results of research that benefit society but also the process of research. Some several opportunities and benefits that come with the process of research. As a result, the role of research in society goes beyond its real purpose. For research to be effective and valid several factors must be considered. Chief among them is the aspect of ethics. Different forms of research involve different forms of approaches. As a result, certain forms of research are more demanding than others. The influence of values and beliefs is notable as far as research is concerned. The paper has discussed the concept of research in detail. The process and impact of research have also been discussed.

Bryant, M. (2005). Managing an Effective and Ethical Research Project . London: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Calderon, M. & Slavin, R. (2001). Effective programs for Latino students. New York: Routledge.

Cresswell, J. (2003). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches. New York: SAGE.

McGill, N. (1981). Effective research: a handbook for health planners. Washington: Institute for Health Planning.

Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, October 29). Research and Its Importance for Daily Life. https://ivypanda.com/essays/research-and-its-importance-for-daily-life/

"Research and Its Importance for Daily Life." IvyPanda , 29 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/research-and-its-importance-for-daily-life/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Research and Its Importance for Daily Life'. 29 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Research and Its Importance for Daily Life." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/research-and-its-importance-for-daily-life/.

1. IvyPanda . "Research and Its Importance for Daily Life." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/research-and-its-importance-for-daily-life/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Research and Its Importance for Daily Life." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/research-and-its-importance-for-daily-life/.

Vaccines. New Vaccine Technologies
How Vaccines Prevent Diseases
Child Vaccines: Why Question the Status Quo?
Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent Vaccine
Pneumococcal Vaccines Markets in Developing Countries
COVID-19 Vaccines' Biochemical and Technological Basis
MDCK Cells in Production of Influenza Vaccine
Targeting of Coronavirus Vaccines’ Distribution
Do Vaccines Cause Autism?
The Companies Investing Heavily in Vaccine
Market Condition Survey and Grading
Dynamic Nature of Discovery: Crystal Skulls
The Indispensability Argument Putting Forward by Quine and Putnam
Problems of Data Analysis in Qualitative Research
Pressure in Work, University and Life

Planet Earth
Strange News

How Does Science Improve Our Daily Lives

Most Americans say science has brought benefits to society and expect more to come . A strong majority of the U.S. public thinks of science as having a positive effect on society, and most expect continued benefits from science in the years ahead.

When asked to think about potential downsides from science for people’s lives coming down the road, the most common concerns referenced technology and computerization (29% of U.S. adults), such as automation in the workforce; others cited genetics (12%), including concerns about cloning and “designer babies,” and developments in medicine (11%).

Video advice: Why does science matter? Here are 13 ways science shapes our everyday lives

A lot of us forget to appreciate the ways science has shaped and continues to shape our every day lives. In this video, I share 13 scientific advances (or broad categories of scientific fields) that have benefitted and continue to benefit our daily lives, such as energy, engineering, global positioning systems (GPS), water detoxification and purification, climate management and climate restoration, stem cell research (organ growth!), gene editing (disease eradication, agricultural productivity), genomic sequencing (ever try ancestry?), vaccines (have you gotten your COVID-19 vaccination yet?), the study of evolution, space exploration (search of extraterrestrial life, habitable planets, and/or extraterrestrial resources), antibiotics, and anesthesia. All of these scientific discoveries / advances have improved and/or heavily affected our daily lives and continue to do so. It is extremely important that we recognize the importance of STEM research and continue to fund STEM or STEAM related research so we can continue to reap the benefits.

How Does Science Improve Our Daily Lives

Some mentioned benefits from an aspect of technology and computerization (23% of those asked), offering general references to new or helpful technology and changes to communication. One respondent put it this way: “Science has advanced our communication avenues which opens the world to all. ” Others highlighted benefits for the environment (14% of those asked), with one respondent saying that science has “kept us abreast of what to expect from climate change. ” Still others (47% of those asked) cited a miscellany of effects, ranging from improvements in food production to developing a better understanding of our world.

Video advice: Technology in our daily life

South Africa Pushes Science to Improve Daily Life

Sweeping policy changes aim to refocus research efforts on poverty, unemployment, drought and other national problems.

However, the perennial question in Nigeria, that has many immediate demands around the national purse, is how you can fund its science ambitions. But science and innovation is prime to strengthening South Africa’s economy, states Kubayi-Ngubane. “Where will we want Nigeria to stay in twenty years? Because science, technology and innovation will influence where we are. ”

Academic vs applied

Policymakers in the government’s department of science and technology are updating the 1996 legislation document that governs the country’s science, technology and innovation activities and agencies. A final draft, seen by Nature, shifts the focus of South Africa’s science sector towards business-led innovation that tackles societal problems and expands the economy. It also reaffirms a key government goal to boost total research and development (R&D) spending from 0. 8% to 1. 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the next decade. On 5 September, the document was approved by the government’s cabinet, which will refer the legislation to Parliament, where it will be open for public comment before being signed into law.

How Does Physics Help Us In Our Daily Lives
How Science Is Useful In Our Daily Life
How Applied Science Affects Daily Life
How Does Science Affect Our Lives
How Science And Technology Has Changed Our Lives
How To Improve Physical Science

Science Journalist

Science atlas, our goal is to spark the curiosity that exists in all of us. We invite readers to visit us daily, explore topics of interest, and gain new perspectives along the way.

What To Expect In Chemistry Class

What Does Omnivore Mean In Science

Is Collaboration The New Innovation Harvard Business Review

Add comment, cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent discoveries

How To Run An Innovation Meeting

What Are The Units Of Q In Thermodynamics

What Is Improvement Science In Education

How To Create A Virtual Tour In Google Earth

Animals 3041
Astronomy 8
Biology 2281
Chemistry 482
Culture 1333
Health 8466
History 2152
Physics 913
Planet Earth 3239
Science 2158
Strange News 1230
Technology 3625

Random fact

12-Year Study Shows Strenuous Joggers as Prone to Die as Sedentary Non-Joggers

Science In Everyday Life: 50 Examples Showing How Science Impacts Our Daily Activities

Science plays a vital role in our daily lives, even if we don’t always realize it. From the alarm that wakes us up to the phones we scroll through before bed, advancements in science, technology, engineering, and math touch every aspect of our routines.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer on examples of science in daily life: Science gives us technology like smartphones, WiFi, microwaves, and virtual assistants . It brings us medical treatments, weather forecasts, and green energy solutions.

Fields like chemistry, biology, and physics explain the world around us and advancements that enhance how we live.

This comprehensive guide provides over 50 examples demonstrating the many amazing ways science impacts our lives. We’ll cover common technologies, healthcare innovations, environmental applications, and insights science provides into the world around us.

Read on to gain appreciation for just how integral STEM is to our modern lives.

Technology Innovations from Science

Smartphones and wifi.

Smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, and we can thank science for their existence. These devices combine various technologies, such as wireless communication, touchscreen displays, and powerful processors, all made possible through scientific advancements.

With the advent of WiFi technology, we can now connect our smartphones to the internet seamlessly, allowing us to access information, communicate with others, and stay connected wherever we go. According to a report by Statista, there are over 3.8 billion smartphone users worldwide, highlighting the widespread impact of this technology.

Virtual Assistants and AI

Virtual assistants, like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, have become an integral part of our daily lives. These AI-powered technologies are the result of extensive research and development in the field of artificial intelligence.

They can perform a wide range of tasks, from answering questions and setting reminders to controlling smart home devices. Virtual assistants have revolutionized the way we interact with technology and have made our lives more convenient.

According to a study by Pew Research Center, around 46% of Americans use voice assistants, showcasing the widespread adoption of this technology.

Streaming Entertainment

Gone are the days when we had to wait for our favorite TV shows or movies to air on traditional television networks. Thanks to scientific advancements, we now have streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video that allow us to enjoy a vast library of entertainment content on demand.

Streaming services rely on technologies like high-speed internet connections and video compression algorithms, which have made it possible to deliver high-quality content to our devices. According to a report by Conviva, global streaming hours increased by 57% in 2020, highlighting the growing popularity of streaming entertainment.

Kitchen Appliances

Science has also revolutionized our kitchens with innovative appliances that make cooking and food preparation easier and more efficient. From microwave ovens and induction cooktops to smart refrigerators and programmable coffee makers, these appliances utilize scientific principles to enhance our culinary experiences.

For example, microwave ovens use electromagnetic waves to heat food quickly, while induction cooktops use magnetic fields to generate heat directly in the cookware. These advancements have saved us time and energy in the kitchen, allowing us to focus on creating delicious meals.

Healthcare and Medicine

Medical treatments and drugs.

Science plays a crucial role in the development of medical treatments and drugs. Through extensive research and experimentation, scientists are able to discover new medications and therapies that help treat diseases and improve the quality of life for patients.

From antibiotics to cancer-fighting drugs, science has revolutionized the field of medicine. For instance, in recent years, breakthroughs in immunotherapy have provided hope for patients with previously untreatable cancers, offering them a chance at a longer and healthier life.

Medical Imaging and Scans

The advancement of medical imaging technology has greatly contributed to the field of healthcare. X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds are all examples of medical imaging techniques that allow doctors to visualize the internal structures of the body without invasive procedures.

These imaging tools aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of various conditions, such as broken bones, tumors, and organ abnormalities. With the help of these technologies, doctors can make more accurate and timely diagnoses, leading to better treatment outcomes for patients.

Prosthetics and Implants

Science has also revolutionized the field of prosthetics and implants, providing individuals with enhanced mobility and improved quality of life. With advancements in materials science and robotics, prosthetic limbs have become increasingly sophisticated, allowing amputees to regain functionality and perform daily activities with greater ease.

Additionally, advancements in medical implants, such as pacemakers and artificial joints, have significantly improved the lives of individuals with chronic conditions, enabling them to live longer and more fulfilling lives.

Genetic Testing

Genetic testing is another area where science has had a significant impact on healthcare. With advancements in DNA sequencing technology, scientists are now able to analyze an individual’s genetic makeup and identify potential genetic disorders or predispositions to certain diseases.

This information can be used for early detection and prevention, allowing individuals to make informed decisions about their health. Genetic testing has also paved the way for personalized medicine, where treatments can be tailored to an individual’s specific genetic profile, leading to more effective and targeted therapies.

Energy and Environment

Renewable energy.

Renewable energy plays a crucial role in reducing our carbon footprint and preserving the environment. Solar power, for example, harnesses the energy from the sun and converts it into electricity, providing a sustainable and clean alternative to traditional fossil fuels.

Wind power is another example, where the kinetic energy of the wind is converted into electricity through wind turbines. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), renewable energy accounted for 26% of global electricity generation in 2018, and this number is expected to rise significantly in the coming years.

Harnessing the power of renewable energy sources not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also leads to economic growth and job creation in the renewable energy sector.

Water Filtration and Conservation

Science has greatly contributed to improving water filtration systems and promoting water conservation. Advanced technologies such as reverse osmosis and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection are used to remove impurities and pathogens from water, making it safe for consumption.

These filtration systems are essential in areas where access to clean drinking water is limited. Additionally, scientific research has led to the development of water-saving devices and techniques, such as low-flow showerheads and rainwater harvesting systems.

These innovations help conserve water resources and reduce water wastage, ultimately benefiting both the environment and our daily lives.

Weather Forecasting

Weather forecasting relies heavily on scientific advancements to accurately predict and analyze weather patterns. Meteorologists use a variety of tools and technologies, including satellites, radar systems, and computer models, to collect data and make predictions about future weather conditions.

By understanding atmospheric phenomena and analyzing historical data, scientists can provide crucial information regarding upcoming storms, hurricanes, and other weather events. Accurate weather forecasts not only help us plan our daily activities but also play a vital role in disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts, potentially saving lives and minimizing damage.

Recycling and Waste Management

In today’s world, proper waste management and recycling have become essential for the health of our environment. Science has played a significant role in developing efficient recycling processes and waste management systems.

Recycling helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and conserves valuable resources. Through various scientific methods, materials such as paper, plastic, glass, and metal can be recycled and used for the production of new products.

Furthermore, advancements in waste management technologies, such as waste-to-energy systems, enable the conversion of waste materials into renewable energy sources. These innovations not only reduce the environmental impact of waste but also contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy.

Science continues to drive innovations and advancements in the energy and environmental sectors. By embracing renewable energy, implementing efficient water filtration and conservation methods, improving weather forecasting accuracy, and promoting recycling and waste management, we can create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

Transportation Innovations

Aircraft technology.

Aircraft technology has come a long way since the Wright brothers’ first flight. Today, we have advanced and sophisticated airplanes that allow us to travel to any corner of the world in a matter of hours.

From the use of composite materials to improve fuel efficiency, to the development of quieter engines and advanced navigation systems, science has played a crucial role in revolutionizing air travel. The aerodynamic design of modern airplanes allows them to achieve incredible speeds while maintaining stability and safety.

This not only makes air travel more convenient for passengers but also reduces the environmental impact of aviation.

Automotive Engineering

The field of automotive engineering has witnessed tremendous advancements, making our cars safer, more efficient, and more comfortable. Science has enabled the development of innovative safety features such as airbags, ABS brakes, and collision avoidance systems, which have significantly reduced the number of accidents and saved countless lives.

The use of lightweight materials and aerodynamic designs has made cars more fuel-efficient, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, the integration of GPS technology and smart infotainment systems has made navigation and entertainment more convenient for drivers and passengers alike.

Traffic Optimization Systems

With the increasing number of vehicles on the road, traffic congestion has become a major issue in many cities around the world. Science has played a vital role in developing traffic optimization systems that help manage and reduce congestion.

These systems use advanced algorithms and real-time data to analyze traffic patterns and suggest the most efficient routes for drivers. By optimizing traffic flow, these systems not only save time for commuters but also reduce fuel consumption and air pollution.

Examples of such systems include smart traffic lights, intelligent transportation systems, and traffic management apps.

Supply Chain Logistics

Supply chain logistics involves the management and coordination of the flow of goods and services from the point of origin to the point of consumption. Science has revolutionized this field by introducing innovative technologies and processes that improve efficiency and reduce costs.

For example, the use of barcode scanning, RFID tags, and GPS tracking has made inventory management more accurate and streamlined. Advanced analytics and predictive modeling help optimize routing and scheduling, ensuring timely delivery while minimizing transportation costs.

These innovations have transformed the way goods are transported, making supply chains more efficient and responsive to customer demands.

Insights into Our World

Science plays a fundamental role in our daily lives, often in ways we may not even realize. From the stars in the sky to the products we use, science provides us with valuable insights and understanding. Let’s explore some examples of how science impacts our everyday activities.

Astronomy and Space Science

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and marveled at the stars? Astronomy, the study of celestial objects and phenomena, helps us understand the vastness of the universe. Through telescopes and satellites, scientists have made groundbreaking discoveries about galaxies, planets, and even the origins of the universe itself.

Websites like NASA offer a wealth of information and breathtaking images that bring the wonders of space closer to us.

Physics Principles at Work

Physics is the study of matter and energy, and its principles can be found in many aspects of our daily lives. For example, the laws of motion explain why objects fall to the ground, why vehicles move, and why we can ride a bicycle.

Understanding these principles allows us to design safer cars, build sturdy bridges, and even enjoy thrilling roller coaster rides. Physics is not just for scientists in labs; it’s all around us!

Earth Sciences – Climate, Seismology

Earth sciences, such as climatology and seismology, provide us with valuable knowledge about our planet. Climate science helps us understand the changes happening in our environment and the impact of human activities on the Earth’s climate.

Seismology, the study of earthquakes, allows us to monitor and predict seismic activity, helping to save lives and minimize damage. Websites like climate.gov and USGS offer comprehensive information on these topics.

Chemistry in Everyday Products

Chemistry is present in countless products we use every day, from cleaning supplies to personal care items. For instance, the chemical reactions that occur in batteries power our smartphones and other electronic devices.

Additionally, the development of new materials and pharmaceuticals relies heavily on chemical research. Understanding the principles of chemistry allows us to create safer and more efficient products. Websites like American Chemical Society provide valuable resources on the role of chemistry in our daily lives.

Science is an integral part of our lives, providing us with knowledge and improving our understanding of the world around us. Whether it’s exploring the mysteries of space, harnessing the power of physics, studying our planet’s climate, or utilizing chemistry in everyday products, science impacts our daily activities in profound ways.

As this extensive list of examples shows, science fundamentally shapes our daily lives in modern society. Cutting-edge innovations that enhance how we live, work, communicate, travel, stay healthy, and understand the world all stem from scientific discovery.

Fields like physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and engineering create astounding technologies, life-saving medications, and solutions for sustainability. They also unlock deeper insights into our own bodies, the environment, and the universe around us.

So whether you’re video chatting on your phone, cooking dinner, driving your car, or just breathing – you have science to thank! Our modern world simply would not function without the dedicated work of scientists pushing boundaries every day.

Does Computer Science Require Physics?

Physics and computer science are two of the most fundamental scientific fields. While computer science focuses on computation, algorithms, and information processing, physics seeks to understand the natural laws that govern our universe. So do aspiring computer scientists need to study physics as well? Let’s take a closer look. If you’re short on time, here’s…

What Are Discrete Structures In Computer Science?

Discrete structures are foundational mathematical concepts that are essential for computer science and programming. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Discrete structures refer to distinct, separate elements and objects that can be counted using integers. They are different from continuous structures where quantities vary fluidly. In this comprehensive guide,…

Bachelor Of Science Vs. Bachelor Of Arts: Key Differences Explained

When pursuing an undergraduate degree, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is whether to complete a Bachelor of Science (BS) or a Bachelor of Arts (BA). Both degrees take roughly four years to complete but there are some notable differences in the focus of each. If you’re short on time, here’s a…

Is Health Science A Stem Major? An In-Depth Look

STEM majors lead to some of the most in-demand and highest paying careers. If you’re interested in a health science degree, you may be wondering – is health science considered a STEM major? While health science shares similarities with science and math-based fields, its classification as STEM is a complex issue. If you’re short on…

Art Vs Science: An In-Depth Comparison

Art and science – two distinctly different fields that employ opposite approaches, right? While art relies on subjective inspiration and emotion, science utilizes objective logic and reason. But it’s not quite so black and white. If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Art and science differ primarily in their methodology…

Is Harry Potter Science Fiction?

As one of the most popular book and film franchises in history, Harry Potter attracts fans from all genres. But with its magic spells, fantastical creatures, and made-up sports like Quidditch, can the Wizarding World be classified as true science fiction? The quick answer is that while the Harry Potter series contains some sci-fi elements,…

More From Forbes

How thinking like a scientist can improve your daily life.

Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to Linkedin

Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of State, at his confirmation hearing on January ... [+] 11, 2017. Image credit: Office of the President-elect.

There are big problems that come up in our lives, affecting our hopes and dreams for ourselves, our family, and even our very lives. How are you going to pay for your child's college education? Is it a better decision to buy a new car, a used car or to fix your current car one more time? When your knee starts hurting chronically, affecting what you choose to do in your daily life, should you have the knee replacement surgery? And if your doctor diagnoses you with prostate cancer, should you have the prostate removed, should you have radiotherapy or should you simply have it actively monitored?

These are hard questions, not so different from the ones many of us face in our lives. But the way we approach them, if we want the best outcomes, is the same way we'd want our government to approach the problems facing our nation today. It's also, at a fundamental level, the same way scientists approach any problem they face. It's a way each of us not only applies science to our everyday lives, but should demand that those making decisions on our behalf think scientifically as well.

Productivity can be enhanced by applying scientific principles. But scientific reasoning can help us ... [+] in a huge slew of aspects in our lives. Image credit: Hebeisen, Walter: F. W. Taylor und der Taylorismus : über das Wirken und die Lehre Taylors und die Kritik am Taylorismus. Zürich: vdf, 1999.

Each of the personal or family problems we might face appears to be unique, but there are similarities to how we'd approach them.

For your child's education, you'd start saving money early, investing it for the future, and later on encouraging your child to apply for student aid, to research and apply for grants and scholarships, work/study and to take out loans as necessary. You'd want them to go to the school of their choice, to follow their educational dreams, and to help them shoulder as much of the financial burden as you can.
For your car, you'd have to do the math: how much is your current car worth, versus how much does it cost to fix, versus how much life you're likely to get out of it. And then you'd have to compare that to how much a new/used car would cost versus the lifespan and enjoyment and cost-of-upkeep you're likely to have to spend on that.
For the knee surgery, you'll have to evaluate the cause of your pain, whether there's bone-on-bone contact, how old you are and how long the replacement is likely to last, and whether a future re-replacement is likely to be a viable option. You'll also have to look at the success rates for the surgery for patients like you, and evaluate what route is likely to give you the best outcome.
And finally, for prostate cancer, you'll have to weigh a whole slew of factors about your quality of life with and without your prostate, whether the cancer is likely to kill you or not, what the outcomes of the different courses of treatment are and what the risks are of having (or not having) various surgeries or treatments.

In all of these cases, there are a slew of commonalities.

Whether to buy a new car, used car or to repair your old car depends on a large variety of factors. ... [+] Image credit: flickr user Michael Gil.

To start, you're likely to have a gut instinct about all of these issues. Maybe you want to put aside all you possibly can and invest it into tech stocks for your child's education. Maybe you want to fix your current car, thinking that there's plenty more life in it. Maybe you want your knee replaced, just wanting the pain to end. And maybe you want to go the active monitoring route with your prostate, as the risks of losing urinary control and sexual function are too high a cost to pay.

The internet is a tremendous resource for information-gatherers of all ages and skill levels. Image ... [+] credit: Wikimedia Commons user Siamackz.

But going with your gut isn't always going to be the best approach, and you know that. Even if you have good instincts, you know that you're better off gathering as much information as you can. That means doing all the research you can into learning as much as you can about all the possible options, outcomes, and how they relate to your specific situation. It means learning the pros and cons of all the options available to you; it means carefully weighing the best evidence you can accumulate. In short, it means doing your homework to the best of your abilities, and making your decision -- that sometimes runs counter to your gut -- based on the information that you find.

Whether through libraries, archives, traditional media, the internet or other forms of new media, ... [+] independent research can be informative, but only to a point. Image credit: Washington, D.C. OWI (Office of War Information) research workers / U.S. Government.

Despite all that you can learn and all the information you can collect on your own, you'll never have as much expertise as the people who've devoted their entire lives to this. A financial planner will offer you options and advice that you most likely wouldn't have come up with on your own, with a slew of research and reasoning to back up their recommendations. A reliable, scrupulous auto mechanic can tell you whether your car is worth fixing or not in detail, while an impartial third-party expert reviewer can tell you about the value of a new/used car. Medical professionals specializing in knee replacements can tell you about whether knee replacement surgery is recommended for you or not, as they've kept up with the latest research and are more aware of the nuances as they affect your particular case than you could ever be. And not only does the same thing go for prostate cancer, but the latest research may influence your doctor's recommendation ; what they would have recommended five years ago might not be the best recommendation today. Our knowledge base grows, and as it does, the best course of action may be different.

An enlarged prostate can result in problems urinating, and prostate cancer can be lethal. But ... [+] removal of the prostate can have incredibly deleterious side effects as well. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons user BruceBlaus.

That's why it's so important to not listen to an authority without the requisite expertise , but to seek out an impartial, third-party with expert knowledge. That's why it's so important to not fall victim to the trap of motivated reasoning: the easiest way to fool ourselves. It's all too easy to arrive at a position and convince ourselves it's the right/best one. Sometimes, our gut instincts are enough to do so. Sometimes, we'll do our information gathering and that will cement our positions in our minds. And sometimes, we'll find the experts who solidify that position. But we have to be open to new information, to the possibility that we've gotten it all wrong, and consider the option that there might be a better way of doing things than we've figured out so far. It's how a (scrupulous) scientist views the world , and it's one of the most challenging ways of thinking, as it requires us to constantly be questioning our assumptions and our prior conclusions.

Decades ago, many households switched from butter to margarine, believing the latter was healthier. ... [+] As new evidence accumulated, however, it was determined that trans fats, not saturated fats, were the fats that were linked to heart disease. Image credit: Bill Branson.

The trap we can all -- scientists included -- fall into is that we hate to change our minds. Once we've made a decision about what the best conclusion or course of action should be, we tend to lose our objectivity. We tend to go with the facts that support our previously-held positions, to interpret neutral facts as supporting what we already believe, and to discount or reject the facts that run counter to our opinions. It's why so many have proposed that scientists take a scientific oath , similar to the Hippocratic oath that doctors take.

The proposal for a scientific oath by Alison Hill. Image credit: screenshot from ... [+] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/scientific-oath/.

There are a lot of good points, but one stands out in particular as one that we can all apply to our lives.

I will not distort facts to promote a particular ideological agenda or financial purpose.

There are a number of pushes made recently to vilify and disempower scientists; to frame their expertise as mere opinion; to remove them from positions where they can share and make knowledge public. But it's that very expert knowledge that we all need access to if we want to make the best decisions possible. In the fight for free speech and free information, it's vital that we value the voices speaking the truths that they're best qualified to speak about. And when those voices run counter to how we're living, what decisions we've made or what we're planning on doing next, that's when it becomes most important to hear and consider that information. Even -- nay, especially -- when it's inconvenient.

Editorial Standards
Reprints & Permissions

Getting Published
Open Research
Communicating Research

Life in Research

For Editors
For Peer Reviewers
Research Integrity

Every stage of a research career comes with its own challenges. Even across academic fields, sharing in the wisdom of peers can help provide guidance and support when faced with decisions and questions unique to life in research. Connect with the experiences, opinions, and true personal stories of researchers themselves and share your own insights with us.

Latest blogs

Championing Women in Engineering - Tackling the Diversity Challenge

Life In Research

Championing Women in Engineering - Tackling the Diversity Challenge

Unravel the mystery of women in engineering with Jill S. Tietjen. Explore barriers, stats, and solutions

Advancing inclusive practices in research publishing and solutions at Springer Nature

From providing knowledge to improving products and services.

Driving change from the inside out: How an internal employee network promotes DEI externally in the community we serve

Black Employee Network’s unique initiative for Black academics.

Tips for mentoring a diverse student group

Maria Misiura shares advice on how to mentor students from diverse backgrounds.

Diversity or Convention: The Obstacle of Cultural Capital in Academia

Dr Ashley Gardner discusses the concept of cultural capital as it relates to academia, and how challenging the conventions can result in a more inclusive, diverse environment.

The Academic DEI Revolution: Renovating the Ivory Tower

Dr. Dre'Von Dobson shares how we can further advance DEI by discussing the changes he would like to see in academia.

Diversity, equity and inclusion: a conversation

In this interview we discuss DEI and its importance to the research community.

International Women’s Day: Advancing Gender Equality through Technology and Innovation

Dr Kiana Aran and Dawn Barry, share their stories and how they are supporting the next generation of STEM professionals.

International Women’s Day: Talking Gender Equity in STEM

Josefine Proll, discusses her experience as a woman in STEM and provides advice to women starting out in the space.

Modernity in Health and Disease Diagnosis: The Account from STEM Women

Eucharia Oluchi Nwaichi explores the impact of digital innovation on gender equality and modern healthcare.

The Need for Data in the Path to Gender Equity in Publishing

Rucha Kapare discusses the critical role of DEI data in shaping the Springer Nature Group strategy.

The Windstar Moms and Technologies That Accommodate Women

Jill S. Tietjen discusses the positive impact of diverse design teams.

Entrepreneurial and Social Imperatives for the Caribbean: Some Considerations

Talia Esnard explores the dynamics that impact women’s access to digital technologies in the Caribbean.

Want Innovation to Thrive? Create Open Welcoming Environments

Alice F. Squires explores emerging trends in systems engineering leadership.

Fostering Gender Equality for Digital Future and Innovation

Danica Radovanović discusses the detrimental effects of the digital gender divide.

Science Should Value Building Research Capacity

Learn about the Einstein Foundation awards and their efforts to promote quality within the research ecosystem itself.

SN SDG Programme

SDG Champion discusses the importance of SDG5: Gender Equality

Get to know our SDG Champions at Springer Nature.

Encouraging minorities and youth to pursue more advanced career paths

Maynard Okereke, an award winning Science Communicator with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering discusses his work on raising awareness about the Black contribution in STEM fields.

A books publishing editor discusses her commitment to SDG11

How a Palgrave Macmillan editor contributes in addressing the SDGs

The importance of digital inclusion

Dr Danica Radovanovic, sociologist of internet technology discusses the importance of digital inclusion.

In the search of freedom to information access and digital resilience

In honour of this year's International Day for Universal Access to Information Dr Danica Radovanovic discusses importance of access to information to protect and promote fundamental freedoms.

A senior forensic analyst reflects on his experiences and discusses his take on the disparities in STEM

Laeon Israel, Senior Forensic Analyst at Charles Schwab reflects on his experiences and discusses disparities in STEM.

How one public health editor is pushing her journal to make a difference towards the SDG agenda

How a publisher can help give confidence, support, and a global platform to new ideas

Researcher Spotlight: "Leadership in promoting intellectual bravery"

Dr. Kiana Aran talks about the importance of establishing a team with multidisciplinary expertise.

Charlotte Owens believes we’re moving in the right direction but the work must continue in tangible ways to make things better

A speaker series by Springer Nature's Black Employee Network. to raise awareness about the Black contribution in STEM fields.

Researcher Spotlight: Empowering underrepresented scientists to utilize their expertise for social change

Dr. Kilan C. Ashad-Bishop discusses the importance of empowering underrepresented scientists to utilize their expertise for social change.

Perspectives on Justice: How practising law transformed one researcher's approach to justice

Learn how authors are helping the ongoing mission to achieve SDG16.

Perspectives on Justice: Why justice means accountability

Perspectives on Justice: Why public engagement is a fundamental feature of justice research methodology

Research Spotlight: "Patience is a virtue in research"

August John, Ph.D student at the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, discusses the most effective ways of choosing a journal for publication and the importance of persistence in achieving his goals.

How a Nature Sustainability editor supports the SDGs

Staying Proud at Springer Nature

SN Pride explores what Pride means to them today.

Researcher Spotlight: "The importance of building an expert status in career development"

Read insights and advice from researchers in different career stages and fields.

Celebrating Women in Engineering Day

Thoughts from an editor of the 'Women in Science and Engineering' book series.

Professor Anthony Ryan Hatch discusses the impact mentorship has had in helping him succeed and the structural reality of working in STEM related fields

"Why I'm out and not dropping out": Perspectives from the founder of SN Pride India

SN employees share their personal experiences.

The importance of personal pronouns at Springer Nature

Learn how we're prioritizing this update across the company.

Reflections on Pride: Queering Criminology

Hear from researchers themselves.

Researcher Spotlight: The importance of working with multidisciplinary teams

Dr Andrés López-Cortés, biologist and professor talks about his career goals and highlights so far, the value he sees in research communication and shares his advice for researchers just starting in the field of precision oncology and artificial intelligence.

Why the real heroes are the locals who make a difference at their level, and more from our SDG champions

Reflections on Pride: Bringing Pride to the LGBTQ+ community in Japan

Reflections on Pride: Changing social media to be more accepting and encouraging of the LGBTQ+ community

Reflections on Pride: Intersectional Perspectives on LGBTQ+ Issues in Modern Language Teaching and Learning

Reflections on Pride: 'Pride is unstoppable, a fierce unwavering form of radical hope and possibility'

Reflections on Pride: Calling attention to the unique needs of LGBTQ+ survivors of interpersonal and structural violence

Researcher Spotlight: "Staying a lifelong learner"

Michael Nguyen-Truong, Ph.D. candidate in Bioengineering, discusses the most effective ways of working with his supervisor, his career plans post-PhD, and shares what advice he would give to his younger self.

Nehemiah Mabry has long imagined a world where people of color have fuller representation inside the world of science.

Researcher Spotlight: “Why researchers should treat scientific journals like museums for scientific discovery”

Dr Kenneth, an American doctor and a medical scientist shares highlights of his research career and advice for other researchers

Applications now open for the 2021 Nature Research Awards for Inspiring Women in Science

Apply for these prestigious awards now.

Why achieving equity for marginalised people underpins all SDGs

Researcher Spotlight: “The importance of exploring career tracks as a young scientist”

Reduced inequalities as the key to change and other social science perspectives on the SDGs

Passion and determination have led computational biologist Samira Asgari to success

Read about her experience here.

Addressing unmet clinical needs – how Steve Xu became an engineer and what motivated him to commercialize his research

Hear from the 2020 winner of the first Spinoff Prize.

Black Excellence Series: “We have to look at the culture and the business landscape and say, how are we contributing to it being a better world.”

journal publishing

Researcher Spotlight: “How being social is a great benefit to your scientific career”

Researchers in different career stages share their personal stories and offer advice and insights for others to follow.

Researcher Spotlight: "The importance of learning from your mistakes"

Why it's important to facilitate the access of young women into STEM

A researcher shares why she was also destined to a life in STEM.

Why female researchers need to see past the obstacles put in front of them

An archaeologist shares her academic journey.

Researcher Spotlight: “Why it’s important to continue the momentum of learning”

Why women should be celebrated more often as inventors

Researcher calls for an increase in advocacy to reach gender equality

An environmental biochemist from Nigeria shares her experience and advice to young women

Nature Research

A global-health researcher shares why he chose to work in maternal and newborn health

Learn what inspired him to become a scientist and more.

Black Excellence Series: “I believe when everybody’s at the table, we can find solutions quicker and faster.”

Springer Nature’s Black Employee Network is launching a Speaker Series to raise awareness about the Black contribution in STEM fields. Dr. Antonio T. Baines, associate professor and a cancer researcher is our first interviewee.

How one researcher is empowering young women to become the next generation of leaders in technology

Hear from the founder of an organization with the goal of reducing the gender gap in technology fields.

How has COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Sustainable Development Goals? Part 3

One researcher shares his advice for researchers who want to make greater societal impact.

Not your daddy’s engineering: Increasing the diversity of our engineering workforce

A woman at the forefront of the women in STEM movement shares her thoughts.

How has COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Sustainable Development Goals? Part 2

One researcher shares his thoughts on 'what's next?' for the SDGs in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the Sustainable Development Goals? Part 1

Learn how one researcher's work in the healthcare field has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

career advice

Why the perspectives of Indigenous researchers are critical to proper fieldwork

Learn from one PhD student's experience in the Arctic.

The importance of safeguarding older people in the time of the pandemic

Learn why it's imperative that older people remain connected and taken care of during COVID-19.

Meet the editor behind our Women in Engineering and Science series

Read our Q&A with Jill S. Tietjen, Series Editor of our Women in Engineering and Science book series.

Black Lives Matter

Amplifying Black Voices: The convenient narratives that perpetuate racism (part 2)

Read Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe's second part of the blog "The convenient narratives that perpetuate racism".

Amplifying Black Voices: The convenient narratives that perpetuate racism (part 1)

Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe is this week's guest author. She is active in efforts that aim to address persistent issues of lack of diversity in STEMM.

publishing basics

The Springer Nature Journal Suggester—how to find literature you might have missed

The Springer Nature Journal Suggester: A tool that can match your work’s abstract and keywords to journals publishing in those areas.

Amplifying Black Voices: Inaction is action - Teaching during an Anti-racism Uprising

Dr. Adele N. Norris, Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy program at the University of Waikato is this week's guest author.

Amplifying Black Voices: Sankofa– learning from the past for a better future Part 2

Dr Judith Bruce-Golding's second part of the blog she wrote Sankofa– learning from the past for a better future.

Amplifying Black Voices: Sankofa– learning from the past for a better future Part 1

Dr Judith Bruce-Golding is this week's guest author, a postdoctoral researcher in Education and Leadership.

Amplifying Black Voices: The third Black President of the United States, a story of Black women in academia

In this week's 'Amplifying Black Voices' blog, Dr. Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards, Assistant Professor at Duke University’s School of Medicine, shares her story.

Amplifying Black Voices: Education and critical thinking skills are the root of societal change

Listen to a critical race scholar share his personal story about growing up as a Black boy in 1970s Manchester.

Stories from researchers in lockdown: Constructive adaption, resourcefulness, and motivation

Read the firsthand experiences of researchers working remotely during the pandemic.

Authentication issues? Learn about remote access

We explain how you can access Springer Nature content wherever you may be working from.

book publishing

Here’s how you can access textbooks for free during the coronavirus lockdown

Download a wide range of essential titles now from across all disciplines.

How can AI support the research community in times of crisis?

Explore the rapid prototype report using coronavirus research published in 2020 by Springer Nature.

How is Springer Nature helping you carry on with your research in these uncertain times?

We are facing unprecedented circumstances in our personal and professional lives. Find out how Springer Nature is working to support the needs of the research community at this time.

Building a bridge between theoretical models and history

Cliometrician Claude Diebolt unpacks his role as a researcher in the field.

New years resolutions for your research career: a round up from the Nature Careers site

7 ways you can jump start your career in the new year.

Radon exposure, treehoppers, and the effects of extreme weather events: a round-up from the Nature Research Communities

Find out what's been happening this month on the Nature Research Communities blogs.

How to be a sustainable researcher: a round-up from the Nature Careers site

Here's what some scientists are doing to make their work greener.

Getting a PhD is hard. For some graduates, figuring out what to do with it can be even harder. Part 3.

Trying to find your own alternative career path? Here are some tips.

Getting a PhD is hard. For some graduates, figuring out what to do with it can be even harder. Part 2.

Each career step—in or out of academia—can teach you something about the path that's right for you.

Finding a balance between research and life: a round up from the Nature Careers site

Learn how researchers of all stages manage their work-life balance.

Getting a PhD is hard. For some graduates, figuring out what to do with it can be even harder. Part 1.

A former neuroscientist explains how she found her way outside of academia after finishing her PhD.

5 ways that collaboration can further your research and your career

Find out how collaborating with other researchers can benefit your work and your career.

Supercooled livers, amphibian parenthood, and an FAQ on split fluorescent proteins: this week's round-up from the Nature Research Communities

What's new with the Nature Research Communities? Find out here.

Alternative career paths for PhDs: a round-up from Nature Careers

What can you do with a PhD outside of academia? Here are some ideas.

Quasicrystals, californium, and the Disneyland of exoplanets: a round-up from the Nature Research Communities

What has our Nature Research Communities buzzing? Here's a round up of some of the most interesting posts from last month.

Nature Awards give mentors the recognition, funding, and ‘street cred’ they need

Applications are open for this year's Nature Awards for Mentoring in Science--nominate someone today!

Nature Mentorship Awards recognize a mentor who engages 'historically neglected minds'

The Nature Awards for Mentoring in Science bring much-needed recognition to excellent mentors. Nominations are now open for this year's awards.

early career researchers

Applications now open for Nature Research travel grants for early career researchers

Learn more about the selection process and how to apply.

Raising awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day: 6 Questions with Jonathan Singer

6 Questions with Jonathan Singer for World Suicide Prevention Day

Jonathan Singer is our third expert to provide insight into the research and wider dialogue around this important topic.

Raising awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day: 6 Questions with Maurizio Pompili

6 Questions with Maurizio Pompili for World Suicide Prevention Day

Maurizio Pompili is our second expert to provide insight into the research and wider dialogue around this important topic.

Raising awareness for World Suicide Prevention Day: 6 Questions with David Gunnell

As part of our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, we are helping raise awareness of SDG 3.4.2 - reduce suicide mortality rate.

Choose action this #LGBTSTEMDay

The founder of Pride in STEM shares his wish for this year's International Day of LGBTQ+ People in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths.

Interested in contributing?

Please get in touch if you are interested in being a Guest Contributor to The Source or if you have any other ideas or questions.

_ Email [email protected]

Community Guidelines

Please read our Community Guidelines before commenting on posts or sharing any content with us. By leaving a comment, you are agreeing to these terms and conditions.

_ Community Guidelines
Tools & Services
Account Development
Sales and account contacts
Professional
Press office
Locations & Contact

We are a world leading research, educational and professional publisher. Visit our main website for more information.

General terms and conditions
Your US State Privacy Rights
Your Privacy Choices / Manage Cookies
Accessibility
Legal notice
Help us to improve this site, send feedback.

Ohio State nav bar

The Ohio State University

BuckeyeLink
Find People
Search Ohio State

Study reveals the hidden ways math helps us in everyday life

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A psychological intervention implemented to help students cope and learn more in a tough statistics course did more than just help them in the class, a new study found.

Researchers found the intervention helped students improve their math literacy – what scientists call ‘numeracy’ – which was vital for success in the course.

But it also helped the intervention students, compared to students who did not get the intervention, demonstrate better financial literacy and make better health-related decisions during the semester they took the course, findings revealed.

“Improved math skills helped these students outside of class,” said Ellen Peters, lead author of the study and professor of psychology at The Ohio State University.

“This study showed that knowing how to use numbers is important for everyone, even if you think you’re not using math. Numeracy helps people in their everyday lives.”

The study appears in the journal PLOS ONE .

The study involved 221 students enrolled in an undergraduate psychology statistics course at Ohio State that is required for all psychology majors.

“Many students are not huge fans of the class because of the math involved, but it is a requirement,” said Peters, who is director of the Decision Sciences Collaborative at Ohio State.

The researchers wanted to see if a psychological intervention called values affirmation could help students succeed in the class by making them more comfortable dealing with the math that may intimidate them. The hope was that this would have a snowball effect, helping students in other areas of their life where numeracy is important.

Values affirmation has been shown in other studies to be helpful in a variety of educational situations.

Students first completed the values affirmation exercise near the beginning of the course. They were given a list of six values (including relationships with family and friends, spiritual/religious values and science/pursuit of knowledge) and asked to rank them in importance to themselves personally.

Half the students affirmed their values by spending 10 to 15 minutes writing why their most important value was meaningful to them.

The other half of the students, the study’s control group, took their least important value and wrote about why it might be meaningful for someone else.

The students repeated the exercise a second time right before their first exam.

This simple exercise had some impressive positive effects. The researchers found that students who participated in the values affirmation did significantly better on a test of their objective numeracy skills at the end of the course compared to their scores at the beginning. The students in the control group did not see improved scores.

Students also completed a questionnaire at the beginning and the end of the course that measured how good they thought they were at math and how much they preferred numbers over words. Results showed that students who completed the values affirmation showed no change in this subjective numeracy measure from the beginning to the end.

Researchers saw that lack of change as a positive development because those in the control group showed declines in how good they thought they were by the end of the course, presumably because of the stress and difficulties they faced in the statistics class.

While it may seem strange that a psychological intervention could help improve math skills, other studies have shown similar results. The key is that values affirmation reminds students of who they are and what is important to them in life. That, in turn, is thought to make them less stressed out about the math requirements and help them achieve some early successes in class, Peters said.

Those early successes then give students something to build on. “It has a snowball effect. Values affirmation is thought to help students get some early wins in class. That leads them to try harder and get more achievements and it creates a cycle of success,” Peters said.

The success in improving numeracy was important. But Peters said she was most interested in seeing if a boost in the students’ math literacy could help them in the real world. And the research found that it did.

Results showed that the better numeracy scores seen with the values affirmation led to students scoring higher on a financial literacy test. In addition, these students showed better health-related behaviors, intentions and habits (such as avoiding cigarettes and practicing safe sex) over the course of the class.

In contrast, students in the control group showed declines in both financial literacy and health behaviors from the beginning to the end of the semester, Peters said.

“We were able to show that numeric ability really matters outside of class. Math isn’t just for people who want a STEM career. It is for all of us,” she said.

Researchers also found that students who did the values affirmation exercise and showed better numeracy received better grades in the statistics class, had stronger intentions to take future math classes, and actually took more math classes in their college career. These results were correlational, however, and without a total effect of the intervention on these positive results so that the researchers couldn’t prove that values affirmation was the cause.

The researchers also examined whether the values affirmation and improved numeracy would improve financial outcomes, such as whether the students had an emergency fund. Similar correlational results were found, without a total effect, and Peters said more research is needed on this issue.

How can stronger numeracy skills help students make better health and financial decisions? While the answer to that question is beyond the scope of this study, Peters said evidence suggests people who are better at numbers also have a stronger understanding of probability and are less influenced by emotions in the moment. This helps them better understand the personal risk involved in health decisions such as smoking or having unprotected sex, so they make better choices.

Numbers are an important part of financial literacy and help people understand how mortgages and credit-card debt work, so it is not surprising that math skills help in this regard, she said.

This research was funded by the National Science Foundation.

Other co-authors from Ohio State’s Department of Psychology were Brittany Shoots-Reinhard, Mary Kate Tompkins, Louise Meilleur, Aleksander Sinayev, Martin Tusler, Laura Wagner and Jennifer Crocker. Dan Schley, a former Ohio State graduate student now at Erasmus University, was also a co-author.

Contact: Admissions | Webmaster | Page maintained by University Communications

Request an alternate format of this page | Web Services Status | Nondiscrimination notice

SUGGESTED TOPICS
The Magazine
Newsletters
Managing Yourself
Managing Teams
Work-life Balance
The Big Idea
Data & Visuals
Reading Lists
Case Selections
HBR Learning
Topic Feeds
Account Settings
Email Preferences

The Research-Backed Benefits of Daily Rituals

Michael I. Norton

A survey of more than 130 HBR readers asked how they use rituals to start their days, psych themselves up for stressful challenges, and transition when the workday is done.

While some may cringe at forced corporate rituals, research shows that personal and team rituals can actually benefit the way we work. The authors’ expertise on the topic over the past decade, plus a survey of nearly 140 HBR readers, explores the ways rituals can set us up for success before work, get us psyched up for important presentations, foster a strong team culture, and help us wind down at the end of the day.

“Give me a W ! Give me an A ! Give me an L ! Give me a squiggly! Give me an M ! Give me an A ! Give me an R ! Give me a T !”

Michael I. Norton is the Harold M. Brierley Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He is the author of The Ritual Effect and co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending . His research focuses on happiness, well-being, rituals, and inequality. See his faculty page here .

Partner Center

IMAGES

1 The Importance of Research in Daily Life
The Importance of Research in our Daily Life| PROF D
RESEARCH IN DAILY LIFE 1: Understanding Research and It's Importance
RESEARCH IN DAILY LIFE
Importance of research in daily life quali 1
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH IN DAILY LIFE

VIDEO

Get Practical
INFERTILITY AND TOXINS
Why is research important in palliative care and hospices?
Timeless Truths; A guide to a better life

COMMENTS

What is the importance of research in everyday life?
Research empowers us with knowledge. Though scientists carry out research, the rest of the world benefits from their findings. We get to know the way of nature, and how our actions affect it. We gain a deeper understanding of people, and why they do the things they do. Best of all, we get to enrich our lives with the latest knowledge of health ...
8 examples of the importance of research in our daily life
Spotify. Another example of the importance of research in our daily lives is the invention of Spotify. Based on research, it was found that music can lessen the impact of depression and anxiety. It is the perfect way to escape reality, especially when dealing with university stress and assignments. With Spotify, you don't need to wait for ...
How Research Powers Our Day-to-Day: An Unseen Influence
In this article, we delve into the importance of research in daily life, making tangible the link between the seemingly abstract world of research and our everyday experiences. The Hidden Guide in Our Decision Making. One of the most immediate ways research impacts our lives is by informing our daily decision-making.
10 Importance of Research in Our Daily Life
Researchers would study different aspects, like pollution, recycling, and renewable energy, to find the best solutions. This way, research helps us find ways to improve our lives and the world we live in. 10 Importance of Research in Our Daily Life. Here are the following 10 importance of research in our daily life: 1. Expanding Knowledge Base
How does research impact your everyday life?
Source: University of Surrey. "The research has found that adolescence, the time when bone growth is most important in laying down the foundations for later life, is a time when Vitamin D levels are inadequate," says Dr Taryn Smith, Lead Author of the study. The study forms part of a four-year, EU-funded project, ODIN, which aims to ...
7 Reasons Why Research Is Important
Why Research Is Necessary and Valuable in Our Daily Lives. It's a tool for building knowledge and facilitating learning. It's a means to understand issues and increase public awareness. It helps us succeed in business. It allows us to disprove lies and support truths. It is a means to find, gauge, and seize opportunities.
A Guide to Using the Scientific Method in Everyday Life
A brief history of the scientific method. The scientific method has its roots in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Philosophers Francis Bacon and René Descartes are often credited with formalizing the scientific method because they contrasted the idea that research should be guided by metaphysical pre-conceived concepts of the nature of reality—a position that, at the time, was ...
How Research Works
Science is an evolving process. But it's the best way we have to seek out answers. NIH has created a one-page guide to explain more about how research works. Find the guide in English or Spanish. NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison. Building 31, Room 5B52. Bethesda, MD 20892-2094. [email protected].
What has science done for you lately?
Plenty. If you think science doesn't matter much to you, think again. Science affects us all, every day of the year, from the moment we wake up, all day long, and through the night. Your digital alarm clock, the weather report, the asphalt you drive on, the bus you ride in, your decision to eat a baked potato instead of fries, your cell phone, the antibiotics that treat your sore throat, the ...
Research for Healthy Living
Research for Healthy Living. Scientific and technological breakthroughs generated by NIH research have helped more people in the United States and all over the world live longer, healthier lives. These advancements were achieved by making disease less deadly through effective interventions to prevent and treat illness and disability.
How Science Helps Us Find the Good
The study by Cameron and Fredrickson explores how we feel when we're helping others, and they found that quite a few participants didn't feel good at all. These people helped others out of a sense of obligation, and they felt disgust, contempt, stress, or resentment toward those they helped. Today, the science of human goodness reveals that ...
Importance Of Research In Daily Life
Research is essential to our daily lives. It helps us to make informed decisions about everything from the food we eat to the medicines we take. It also allows us to better understand the world around us and find solutions to problems. In short, research is essential for our health, safety, and well-being.
Helping People Improve Their Lives
Psychology's Impact. Psychologists use scientific research to better understand how people learn, interpret events and make decisions. They then translate that knowledge into techniques to help people make smarter choices in their daily lives. Based on a deep knowledge of how lifestyles are affected by factors related to biology, mental ...
Researching Daily Life
A step-by-step guide to researching what people do in their everyday lives. This practical, beginner-friendly book teaches readers how to do daily life research, which is the study of what people do in their ordinary environments in their everyday lives. The basic approach is to collect data intensively over time, at least once a day for many ...
10 Ways Psychology Can Help You Live a Better Life
Research on how we form new memories as well as how and why we forget has led to a number of findings that can be applied directly in your daily life. To increase your memory power: Focus on the information. Rehearse what you have learned. Eliminate distractions.
Reflection About the Importance of Research in Daily Lives
setbacks, research is important in our lives because it enriches and extends our knowledge through. our own experiences. It enables us to discover and learn new and the right information to be ...
Scientific knowledge helps us make decisions that affect our lives
Overview. This is an example of a student-driven, instructor-guided field experiments on a budget. Schools that cater to under-represented students are often those with limited resources, however, student-driven discovery in the field is an effective tool for engaging students in the natural environment and in hydrogeology.
Research and Its Importance for Daily Life Essay
This paper aims to take an analytical look at the concept of research. The paper will begin with a detailed look at the concept of research. Thereafter, the several similarities between different aspects of research will be analyzed. The impact of research on our daily life will also be reviewed. We will write a custom essay on your topic.
How Does Science Improve Our Daily Lives
South Africa Pushes Science to Improve Daily Life. Sweeping policy changes aim to refocus research efforts on poverty, unemployment, drought and other national problems. However, the perennial question in Nigeria, that has many immediate demands around the national purse, is how you can fund its science ambitions.
Science In Everyday Life: 50 Examples Showing How Science Impacts Our
Understanding the principles of chemistry allows us to create safer and more efficient products. Websites like American Chemical Society provide valuable resources on the role of chemistry in our daily lives. Science is an integral part of our lives, providing us with knowledge and improving our understanding of the world around us.
How Thinking Like A Scientist Can Improve Your Daily Life
It's also, at a fundamental level, the same way scientists approach any problem they face. It's a way each of us not only applies science to our everyday lives, but should demand that those making ...
Reflection About the Importance of Research in Daily Lives
Abstract. This article explores the enduring importance of research in today's world, highlighting its role in expanding knowledge, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. It discusses the author ...
Life in Research
Life in Research. Every stage of a research career comes with its own challenges. Even across academic fields, sharing in the wisdom of peers can help provide guidance and support when faced with decisions and questions unique to life in research. Connect with the experiences, opinions, and true personal stories of researchers themselves and ...
Study reveals the hidden ways math helps us in everyday life
Numeracy helps people in their everyday lives.". The study appears in the journal PLOS ONE. The study involved 221 students enrolled in an undergraduate psychology statistics course at Ohio State that is required for all psychology majors. "Many students are not huge fans of the class because of the math involved, but it is a requirement ...
Shaping the future of behavioral and social research at NIA
Innovating and supporting large-scale observational studies, mechanistic investigations, and translational research to better understand how social and behavioral factors shape biological aging, well-being, and health. We hope you will stay informed about NIA's BSR-focused research and join us on that journey by signing up for the BSR newsletter.
The Research-Backed Benefits of Daily Rituals
The Research-Backed Benefits of Daily Rituals. Summary. While some may cringe at forced corporate rituals, research shows that personal and team rituals can actually benefit the way we work. The ...