1 The relationship between Psychology and Philosophy

Question 1

What are the two key assumptions in psychology?

Answer 1

1. Philosophy is irrelevant to Psychology
2. Progress in psychology can only be achieved by:
   a. Deducing a hypothesis from a theory (i.e. generate predictions)
   b. Conducting empirical test of hypotheses and this involves:
   - Making observations
   - Measuring psychological variables
   - Using statistical procedures

Question 2

How do we get rid of a concept?

Answer 2

The only way to get rid of a concept is to go out and collect data that may refute the theory and render it useless or misleading

Question 3

Explain what is said about the two key assumptions

Answer 3

That they are false as held by mainstream psychology because it suffers from “physics envy” and forgets about the relevance of theoretical physicists that inform empirical physicists

Question 4

Name the first of the two ways to test a theory

Answer 4

By conducting empirical tests of hypothesis logically derived from the theory -> Hypothetico-deductive method

Question 5

Name the second of the two ways to test a theory

Answer 5

By conducting logical/philosophical tests of the theory itself -> conceptual analysis

Question 6

What is the hypothetico-deductive method?

Answer 6

Is an approach to research that begins with a theory about how things work and derive testable hypotheses from it. … The hypotheses are then tested by gathering and analyzing data and the theory is then either supported or refuted by the results.

Question 7

State what is meant by Axiom

Answer 7

Statements of the most general kind; usually taken as self-evidently true

• Identity (e.g. All A is A)
• Non-contradiction (e.g. Not both A and not A)
• Excluded Middle (e.g. Either A or not A)

Question 8

State what is meant by Philosophical statements

Answer 8

Statements about the universal or very general issues; either true or false
e.g. all psychological tendencies are underlying causes of thoughts, feelings and actions

Question 9

State what is meant by Philosophical statements

Answer 9

Statements about the universal or very general issues; either true or false
e.g. All attributes (properties and relations) are quantitative

Question 10

State what is meant by theoretical statements

Answer 10

Statements of a less general kind; either true or false

e.g. all psychological tendencies are underlying causes of thoughts, feelings and actions

Question 11

What is the order of the stages of the theoretical system?

Answer 11

Axioms -> philosophical statements -> theoretical statements -> research hypothesis

Each stage drives the next, whether or not an earlier stage might be considered (or suspected) false

Question 12

What is meant by conceptual analysis

Answer 12

Logically prior scientific task -> testing theories conceptually is often neglected in psychology although it is considered necessary - no less important than empirical analysis

Question 13

Describe the reasoning behind conceptualizing a theory

Answer 13

Many experiments waste precious resources measuring features that have not been adequately conceptualized, thereby producing heaps of useless data

Question 14

What does doing a conceptual research show?

Answer 14

Doing conceptual research, can’t show if empirical research is false but can show a statement is false

Question 15

what does it mean if a theoretical statement is incoherent

Answer 15

if it is incoherent, it is necessarily false

Question 16

A theory is logically deficient if:

Answer 16

1. Concepts and definitions are vague or ambiguous
2. Concepts and definitions are clear but involve fallacious (or logic) reasoning
3. At least two statements within the theory are inconsistent or contradictory
4. It implicates assumptions that are demonstrably false

Question 17

if a theory is logically impossible then this means what?

Answer 17

It is then empirically impossible

Question 18

What can conceptual analysis achieve in psychology?

Answer 18

Trying to help science by reframing the theory that hadn’t been framed coherently -> new hypothesis can then be tested empirically

Question 19

How did John Locke explain the reasoning behind conceptual analysis?

Answer 19

“cleaning the ground a little, and removing some of the rubbish that lies in the way of the knowledge”