3 Logical positivism in Psychology II Flashcards
What are the three points of the legacy of logical positivism in psychology
- Observation statements and data privileged over theory and philosophy
- Methodological fetishism at the expense of the phenomena of interest
- The verifiability principle still implicit assumed through the doctrine of operationalism
Define logical positivism
Observation and logic.
Verifiability principle; a criterion of meaning. The meaning of a contingent statement is given by the observation statements needed to verify it conclusively.
What was a key feature of logical positivism?
A key feature of logical positivism was its central aim to rid the philosophy and science of metaphysics.
Define operationalism
A form of positivism which defines scientific concepts in terms of the operations used to determine or prove them.
What is the meaning of operationism
The meaning of a concept is given by the operation used to identify it
Describe what is meant by methodological fetishism at the expense of the phenomena of interest
Overemphasis on how to test something empirically and working out the methods and statistics
Describe what is meant by the verifiability principle still implicit assumed through the doctrine of operationalism
When anyone tells you to operationally verify your variables -> links directly to the verifiability principle
Compare operationism vs verificationism
Operationalism is virtually no different to the verifiability principle.
What are operational definitions in psychology?
A methodological prescription for overcoming metaphysical influences in psychology.
How does Weiten (2013) describes operational definitions
An operational definition describes the actions or operations that will be used to measure or control a variable - operations define concepts/variables
How does psychology play into operationism?
Much of psychology continues to define concepts operationally, especially via mental and personality tests
e.g. Intelligence is whatever the test or measure of the test
What are the positives of operational definition?
What is good about it is that you can see what they are doing or how they are measuring X, what they are manipulating is observable
There are a number of problems with it
What is the objection to operationalism?
It makes a logical error: operationally defining a variable involves a logical error
How does Weiten (2013) describe operational definitions
An operational definition describes the actions or operations that will be used to measure or control a variable - operations define concepts/variables
