Acquiring Knowledge and The Scientific Method Flashcards
In the method of tenacity, why might someone believe something is true?
Their beliefs and superstitions support the information, believing it to be true
How is information accepted as true in the method of intuition?
Based on a gut feeling or a hunch
How might someone using the method of authority answer a question?
They would refer to ‘experts’ in a certain subject area, like teachers, books, doctors, the internet, etc.
Which method is often the quickest and easiest way of finding information?
Method of Authority
What is the name of the variant of the method of authority in which people have unwavering trust in an authority figure and accept all information from them without question?
Method of Faith
How might we increase confidence in the information gained from an authority figure?
Evaluate the source of information and see if the information itself is reasonable
What 2 methods are critical components of the scientific method?
- Rational Method
- Empirical Method
In logical reasoning, what are the purpose of premise statements?
They describe facts or assumptions that are presumed to be true.
In logical reasoning, what are a set of premise statements logically combined to become a conclusion called?
An argument
True or False: The conclusion of a rational argument is always true if both of its premise statements are correct.
False
What is the rational method?
The practice of employing reason as a source of knowledge
What does the empirical viewpoint believe?
All knowledge is gained through the senses
How does the empirical method work for gaining knowledge?
By observing and using direct sensory experiences
True or False: Seeing is not always believing as our senses can be altered.
True
Why might the empirical method be unfavoured?
It’s very time consuming and potentially dangerous
What is the scientific method?
A method of acquiring knowledge that uses the hypothesis to make logical and testable predictions.
How does the scientific method often begin?
Casual, informal observations
What is inductive reasoning?
Reasoning that involves a relatively small set of specific observations that form a general statement of a larger set of possible observations
What are characteristics or conditions that have different, changable values?
Variables
What is a tentative answer that is intended to be tested and critically evaluated?
A hypothesis
What is the difference between induction and deduction?
Induction - increase from specific few to general many
Deduction - decrease from general many to a specific few
What are the 3 important principles of the scientific method?
- Science is Empirical
- Science is Public
- Science is Objective
What is pseudoscience?
A system of ideas that are often presented as science but lack key components that are essential to scientific research.
What is quantitative research?
Research based on measuring variables for individual participants to obtain scores that are usually numerical.
What is the difference between participants and subjects?
Participants - human
Subjects - non-human
How is the scientific method research shaped like?
A circular process
