4.2.3.1 FEATURES OF SCIENCE

Question 1

what is objectivity?

Answer 1

• a key feature of science
• it means that a piece of research has not been affected by subjectivity, researcher bias, value-laden judgements or opinions
• when conducting a study the researcher should ensure that their own opinions and attitudes don’t intrude or interfere with the process

Question 2

what is the empirical method?

Answer 2

• involves using objective methods to collect data (quantitative only)
  in ways which are controlled by the researcher and which are replicable
• they test hypotheses using methods gained from direct observation in a systematic way

Question 3

what does the scientific method mean?

Answer 3

that objectivity and replicability are key

Question 4

which methods are objective and empirical?

Answer 4

• lab experiments are objective
  -> they’re hypothetico
  -> deductive
  -> use controlled conditions
  -> manipulate the IV
  -> measure behaviour via a replicable procedure resulting in quantitative data that’s easy to compare and analyse
• observational method is to some extent objective and empirical
  -> it’s based on direct observation of behaviour as proposed by behaviourists

Question 5

which methods aren’t objective or empirical?

Answer 5

• methods which are designed with subjective experience of individuals couldn’t claim to be objective or empirical
  eg) interviews, case studies
• methods which generate qualitative data aren’t easily replicable
  eg) a case study on one individual isn’t replicable

Question 6

what is replicability?

Answer 6

• refers to a piece of research which could be carried out again by the same or another researcher
  -> and which would be likely to show consistent results
  -> which helps to increase the validity of the findings
  ie) they show that the IV has affected the DV
• replicability is only possible if the original research has been designed in way in which variables are controlled and there is great attention to detail in the design
  ie) the procedure is unambiguous and precise

Question 7

what is falsifiability?

Answer 7

• the ability of a study/theory to be found to be wrong
  ie) false
  -> which means that scientific methods can be used to test the theory/hypothesis to see if it’s wrong
  -> also why significance testing is based on either rejecting or accepting the null hypothesis
• some theories may not have been found to be false thus far
  -> doesn’t mean that they’re not false
  -> the more these theories are tested and found to withstand the testing then the more scientific they are
• sounds negative but for researchers aiming to be scientific it’s a good thing

Question 8

which theories and methods are replicable and falsifiable?

Answer 8

• lab experiments
• questionnaires
• large-scale surveys
• controlled observations
  -> all replicable as they use a standardised procedure which can be replicated and repeated
• theories which have been tested repeatedly using controlled methods are falsifiable
  eg) experiments on memory (Loftus and Palmer), localisation of brain function research which uses MRI scanning (Maguire)

Question 9

what is theory construction?

Answer 9

• a theory is a set of principles that intend to explain certain behaviours or events
• can be constructed using evidence gathered via reserach to support its central assumptions and principles as theories cannot exist on the basis of beliefs alone
  -> they require empirical evidence

Question 10

what is hypothesis testing?

Answer 10

• a hypothesis is a prediction of what the researcher expects to find after conducting an experiment
  -> must be objective and measurable
• when the findings have been analysed, a clear decision can be made as to whether the null hypothesis can be accepted or rejected
  ie) if the null hypothesis can be rejected then the theory is strengthened

Question 11

what are some examples of theory construction?

Answer 11

• the multi store model of memory
  -> theorises that memory is a linear process with 3 unitary storage facilities
• lab experiments
  -> like Sperling, Peterson and Peterson, Glanzer and Cunitz
  -> have been used in support of the theory

Question 12

what are some examples of hypothesis testing?

Answer 12

• the theory of localisation of brain function
  -> proposes that the brain is not unimodal and that specific brain regions given specific functions and behaviours
• research such as:
  -> Maguire, Dougherty et al, Peterson et al
  -> support the theory

Question 13

what is a paradigm?

Answer 13

• a set of shared assumptions and methods within a particular discipline which distinguishes a science from a non-science
• psychology is thus viewed as a pre-science as it has too much disparity between its various approaches

Question 14

what is a paradigm shift?

Answer 14

• occurs when a field of study moves forward through a scientific revolution
  eg) with a few scientists challenging an existing, accepted paradigm
• as time passes these ideas gain traction as more scientists begin to challenge the old theory, adding more research to contradict the existing assumptions

Question 15

what’s an example of a paradigm?

Answer 15

• psychoanalytic theory
  -> prevailed from the late nineteenth century and was at the forefront of psychological thinking until Pavlov and Skinner proposed the behaviourist idea

Question 16

what’s an example of a paradigm shift?

Answer 16

one occurred when the cognitive approach took over from the behaviourist approach with the emphasis being on the mind and info processing
(though both can be seen in CBT)