Chapter 1 Flashcards
Why do we study research methods?
- To evaluate methods and determine if they are reasonable or applicable
- To understand if it’s pseudoscience or not
- To check if there’s any other possible explanation
Why do we conduct research?
- Medicine (Behavioral Observation)
- Education
- Government & Justice
Mental Health Care
What are the three methods of acquiring knowledge?
Intuition:
- personal experience
- trusting your gut
- Anecdotal evidence
- Illusory correlation (focus on two events that stand out together)
- Conformation basis
Authority:
- Differs to experts
- authority isn’t always right sometimes bias
- ex. media book government…
The empirical approach (Scientific method):
- empirical
- Organized skepticism
- avoids bias
- testable and falsifiable
What are falsifiable methods?
- Based on the idea that a theory must be falsifiable
- must use methods that are able to disprove hypothesis and theories as they are to support them
- You have to try and falsify it
What are theories
- theories are a formal explanation of how concepts are related to each other
- theories can explain a relationship between variables
- create a framework for generating new knowledge
What is the scientific approach
Acknowledges that both
intuition and authority are
sources of ideas but doesn’t accept the ideas without questions
* Ideas must be evaluated on the basis of careful logic and systematic
observation.
* Research must support the idea
What is scientific skepticism?
Approach to knowledge that recognizes that all ideas have the potential to be incorrect
* Questions all pronouncements of truth
* Seeks empirical data (knowledge based
on structured, systematic observations)
What are the 7 steps of the research process?
- Background research and reflection
- Identify gaps in current research
- generate ideas
- is it worth pursuing - Write a precis statement research question
- identify variables - Hypothesis
- prediction about relationship between variables
- come up with alternative hypothesis - Design method
- Must be representative of variables
- Must be replicable, testable and falsifiable - Perform the study
- Avoid bias
- Follow well-defined procedures - Consideration of results
- Did the results support the hypotheses
- were rival hypothesis ruled out?
-Were there limitations to your methods - Dissemination of results
- Write up
- submit to peer-reviewed journal
- present
- publish
What are the 4 values of science?
Universalism: scientific observations are
systematically structured and evaluated using accepted methods of the discipline
- Communality: methods and results are to be shared openly; replicated by others.
- Disinterestedness: Scientists do not have an agenda other than finding the truth.
- Organized skepticism: ideas are evaluated in an open free market of ideas; peer reviewed
What is pseudo-science?
Attempts to present knowledge that
uses scientific terms to make claims
look compelling, but without using
scientific data
* Takes reputable science and
presents it out of context
* Often used to confirm existing
theories and anecdotes
What are the 4 goals of scientific research?
Describe behaviour:
- careful
observation and
measurement
Predict future behaviour
- based on the
observation that
events are
systematically
related to one
another
Determine cause of behaviour:
- 1. Covariation of causes and effect
2. Temporal precedence
3. Elimination of alternate explanations
Explain why the behaviour occurred:
- other possible explanations should be explored
What’s the difference between basic and applied research?
Basic research:
- Attempts to answer fundamental questions about the nature of behaviour
Applied research:
- Anything that addresses a problem and potential solution
(ex. program evaluation)
What are a few red flags of pseudo science?
*Claims are not falsifiable
*If tests reported, methodology not scientific, data accuracy questionable
*Evidence anecdotal; relies on “so-called experts.”
*No genuine research cited.
* Claims ignore conflicting evidence
* Use Scientific Jargon
* Claims are vague and appeal to preconceived ideas
* Claims never revised to account for new data
How can an individual show scientific skepticism?
Question:
- What are the person’s credentials?
* What is the person’s reputation
* Who is funding the research?
What is an empirical approach to research?
- Knowledge is based on information that we can observe and measure directly
- It’s testable and falsifiable
- It avoids basis
