chapter 1 & 2 textbook Flashcards
what are the nonscientific methods of acquiring knowledge?
method of tenacity method of intuition method of authority rational method empirical method
define method of tenacity and it’s limitations
information is accepted as true because it has always been believed or superstition support it
one problem is that the info acquired might not be accurate like can’t teach an old dog new tricks
there is no method for correcting erroneous ideas even if the evidence is to the contrary. if a belief is widely accepted solely on the basis of tenacity it is very difficult to change
define method of intuition and limitations
info is accepted as true because it “feel” right; hunch, gut feeling or instinct to answer questions
many ethical decision or moral questions are resolved by the method of intuition but the problem is that it has no mechanism for separating accurate from inaccurate knowledge
define method of authority and limitations
a person relies on information or answers from an expert in the subject area
limitations
- authorities can be biased or subjective
- expertise can be generalized to our inquiry even if the expert isn’t an expert in this area
- accept info without question
define rational method and limitations
aka rationalism
seeks answers by the use of logical reasoning
limitation
occurs when trying to think through a problem before they try out different solutions
define empirical method and limitations
aka empiricism
attempts to answer questions by direct observation or personal experiences
uses observations or direct sensory experience to obtain knowledge
many facts/answers are available simply by observing the world around us (this is using the empirical method!) however it is tempting to place great confidence in our own observations
two observers can witness the exact same even and “see” two completely different things
identify steps of scientific method
- observe
- hypothesis
- use hypothesis to generate a testable prediction
- Evaluate prediction by making systematic, planned observations (data collection)
- use observations to support, refute or refine original hypothesis
what is the difference between hypothesis and a prediction?
a hypothesis is a tentative answer that is intended to be tested and critically evaluated ; a statement that describes or explains the relationship between or among variables
a testable prediction takes a hypothesis and applies it to a specific observable real world situation
what does it mean that the scientific method is empirical, public and objective?
empirical because answers are obtained by making observations
public because the scientific method makes observations available for evaluation by others like scientists that should be able to replicate the process and observations
objective because the observations are structured so that the researchers biases and beliefs do not influence the outcome of the study
define scientific method
is an approach to acquiring knowledge that involves formulating specific questions and then systematically finding answers to the questions
what are variables
characteristics or conditions that change or have different values for different individuals
forming a hypothesis usually begins by ID’ing other factors or variables
what is deductive reasoning
use general conclusions to generate specific predictions
involves a decrease from many to a specific few
induction and deduction are complementary processes
what is inductive reasoning
uses specific examples to generate general conclusions or hypotheses
involves an increase from a few to many
induction and deduction are complementary processes