26. Features of a science (A2) Flashcards
What did Thomas Kuhn say separated scientific disciplines from non-scientific ones?
A shared set of assumptions and methods - a paradigm
What is a paradigm?
A set of shared assumptions and agreed methods within a scientific discipline
What did Kuhn consider psychology and why?
He considered it a pre-science bc it lacked the necessary paradigm to be a science - there were too many internal disagreements and conflicts for it to be truly scientific
How does Kuhn explain scientific developments using his paradigm theory?
Kuhn claimed scientific ‘revolutions’ occurred when a few scientists started questioning the current paradigm - the view becomes more popular and gains momentum - a paradigm shift occurs
What is a paradigm shift?
The result of a scientific revolution: a significant change in the dominant unifying theory within a scientific discipline
How is theory construction relevant to how scientific a discipline is?
Science tests theories - a set of general laws or principals that have the ability to explain particular events or behaviours - there construction occurs as ppl develop ideas from direct observations - they provide understanding by explaining regularities in behaviour
What is hypothesis testing?
Theories can be tested through various different tests - hypotheses are formed from theories and what we predict will happen - testing will either strengthen or weaken hypotheses and create new ones - deduction
What is falsifiability?
The principle that a theory cannot be considered scientific unless it admits the possibility of being proved false.
Who argued that falsifiability was the key criterion for a science?
Karl Popper
What was Popper’s argument regarding falsification?
He claimed that by putting themselves up for constant examination and attempts to be proved wrong scientific theories would be weeded out quickly and only the strongest theories would remain - anything that couldn’t be falsified could only be pseudoscientific
What is replicability?
The extent to which the scientific procedures and findings can be repeated by other researchers
What was Popper’s view on the need for replicability in science?
Popper believed replicability was key for scientific disciplines bc it allowed theories to be repeatedly tested across multiple different contexts - this checks the generalisability, validity and reliability of theories and helps to verify findings
What is objectivity?
When all sources of personal bias are minimised so as not to distort or influence the research process
How is objectivity maintained in psychology?
Researchers must keep a critical distance during research and mustn’t allow personal opinions/biases to discolour the data they collect
Which types of study are generally the most objective?
Lab studies
