Scientists can hardly be completely objective when they conduct any research. First of all, research is based on the already existing ideas of scientists about a certain phenomenon or object. For example, Achenbach (2015) notes that scientists say GM foods are safe because there is no evidence to the contrary. This assumption is also supported by a news article by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2022), which notes that before the discovery of new factors, scientists had very different ideas about the functions of chemicals in bacteria. Thus, it cannot be argued that scientists are completely objective in their research. The results of the research are influenced by both information known about the object and the conditions of the experiment. The latter is chosen on the basis of research questions, which are formed on the basis of already available information. Scientists do not always have all the facts about the object under study, which leaves a bit of subjectivity.
Emotions are the basis for research inquiry, as they motivate a person to explore. On the one hand, the emotions involved in this process allow researchers to ask questions about the world and look for answers to them, which is positive (Ellerton & Brown, 2018). On the other hand, the emotional involvement of the researcher can become a source of subjectivity. This can happen primarily due to the formation of certain expectations in a person based on previous research and individual perceptions. Additionally, the emotionally involved researcher may lack the patience to overcome the difficulties of the study and accept unsatisfactory results. Thus, emotions can have both positive and negative results within scientific research, but they are inseparable from the inquiry process.
References
Achenbach, J. (2015). The age of disbelief: skepticism about science is on the rise, and polarization is the order of the day. What’s causing reasonable people to doubt reason? National Geographic, 227(3), 30-48.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute. (2022). How some gut microbes awaken ‘zombie’ viruses in their neighbors. Science Daily.
Ellerton, P., & Brown, D. (2018). Sorry Mr. Spock: Science and emotion are not only compatible; they’re inseparable. The Conversation.