1. Scientific Processes Flashcards
What is science about
- Establishing truths
- Answering real-life questions & testing hypotheses
- Testing theories
What should scientific research be
- Objective - independent of beliefs or opinions
- Methods used should be empirical - based on data, not just theory. The best way to make sure of this is to carry out an experiment that collects quantitative data & has strictly controlled variables.
- This means you should be able to replicate the research & also to establish cause & effect.
What is science about: Answering real-life questions & testing hypotheses
Science tries to explain how & why things happen - it tests hypotheses & constructs theories by asking questions. This is the scientific process:
- Ask a question - make an observation & ask why or how it happens
- Suggest an answer, or part of an answer, by forming a theory (a possible explanation of the observation)
- Make a hypothesis - a specific testable statement, based on the theory, abt what will happen
- Carry out a test - to provide evidence that will support the hypothesis (or help to disprove it)
A theory is only scientific if…
it can be tested.
What is science about: Testing theories
- Starts off w one experiment backing up a prediction & theory.
- Results are published - scientists need to let others know of their work, so try get their research published in scientific journals. All work must undergo peer review before published.
- Other scientists read the published theories & try to repeat them - involves repeating exact experiments, & using the theory to make new predictions that are tested by new experiments.
- If all the experiments provide evidence to back it up, the theory is thought of as a scientific ‘fact’.
- If new evidence comes to light that conflicts w the current evidence, the theory is questioned all over again. More rounds of testing carried out to see which evidence, & so which theory, prevails.
What is peer review
Process used to ensure the integrity of published scientific work.
Before publication, scientific work is sent to experts in that field who assess the quality of the work.
Why are peer reviews needed
- Helps keep scientists honest - eg. no exaggerated/false conclusions if your data doesn’t support it, as it wont pass peer review.
- Helps to validate conclusions - means published theories, data, conclusions are more trustworthy. (BUT cant guarantee the conclusions are 100% right, more rounds of predicting & testing needed before they’re taken as a ‘fact’)
- Sometimes mistakes are made & incorrectly published - way for scientists to self-regulate their work, & to ensure reliable scientific work is published
What did Popper (1969) argue
- He argued that theories are abstract, so its impossible to prove them right through empirical research.
- Instead, he claimed a theory is scientific if it’s falsifiable - if it can be proved wrong. So every test of a theory should be an attempt to falsify it.
eg. Freud’s psychodynamic explanation of gender development is non-falsifiable - cant prove it wrong bc its based on unconscious mind
Key thing about theories
Theories get tested over & over again.
Our currently accepted theories have survived this ‘trial by evidence’ - each time they’ve been tested the results have backed them up.
BUT
they never become totally indisputable fact. Scientific breakthroughs or advances could provide new ways to test a theory, which could lead to changes to it. Then the testing starts all over again.
What is a paradigm
Sciences uses paradigms - a set of principles, methods & techniques which define a scientific discipline.
More on paradigms
- Kuhn (1970) believed that for smth to be a science, it needs to have a paradigm. This has resulted in 2 different opinions as to whether psychology is truly a science.
- Some believe that psychology has a paradigm. It was initially behaviourism, but then underwent a change to cognitive psychology. This change in principles & practices is known as a paradigm shift.
- Others argue psychology might be made up of mini-paradigms, & so psychology is in a state of pre-science.
1 way in which psychological research can impact the economy
Eg. ppl with untreated mental health disorders may need more time off work.
- Ppl suffering from conditions like depression or OCD which arent being treated may need to take more days off work than those receiving treatment
- Treatments for mental health disorders come abt as a result of psychological research (eg. cognitive-behaviour therapy, etc) & can help ppl continue a normal lifestyle, sa going to work. Less time off work is better for the economy
