Chapter 1 Flashcards
Authority
We are likely to turn to various authorities or experts to determine what hypotheses make sense in our casual observation of social behavior. As long as we have faith in the expert we consult, we might regard the expert’s opinion as sufficient justification for a hypothesis
Casual Observation
ideas about how others are likely to behave with and toward us in different situations and in response to our own behavior, ultimately we can act in ways that elicit desire.
Causal Associations
in a causal association, some constructs are identified as causes and others as effects.
Consensus
Instead of appealing to the wisdom of authorities, we might appeal to the wisdom of our peers seeking consensus regarding our hypotheses. We decide what are good or bad beliefs or hypotheses by finding out whether our friends agree with us.
Construct
an abstract concept that we would like to measure. (ex: love, intelligence, aggression, self-esteem, success, etc).
Contestability
higher likelihood of argument about what is right (more prevalent in social sciences)
Empirical Research
observation that is systematic in attempting to avoid biases. Scientists rely mainly on observation to evaluate a hypothesis critically. Scientists ultimately put confidence in a hypothesis or a theory if it has been able to withstand empirical attempts to falsify it.
Social Science Hypothesis
a falsifiable statement of the association between 2 or more constructs that have to do with human social behavior. “They can state that one construct causes another, or they might simply state that one construct tends to be found with another. There are 2 notions that require elaboration: the notion of constructs and the notion of what is a causal association”.
Logical Analysis
We often derive hypotheses and decide whether they are accurate by examining whether they are logically consistent with other hypotheses that we hold.
Naïve Hypothesis
argues that one phenomenon or behavior causes or is associated with another phenomenon
Observation
To determine whether our naïve hypotheses are correct, we routinely compare them to the behaviors of ourselves and others through “observation”. When our hypotheses are not consistent with what we observe, we might modify or abandon them.
Operational Definition
the set of procedures we use to measure or manipulate a construct. (ex: operational definition of intelligence is a person’s score on a standardized IQ test).
Operationism
all constructs of interest can indeed be measured or observed. The scientific assumption of operationism means that all constructs of interest can be measured, albeit imperfectly.
Past Experience
Probably we most frequently generate support for our hypotheses as casual observers of social behavior by reflecting on or remembering past experiences.
Replication
A hypothesis gains gradual acceptance if it is repeatedly supported, survives numerous attempts to falsify it, and seems to account for observations conducted by different scientists in different settings. Empirical research must repeatedly reveal the same conclusions when conducted independently by different researchers; only in this way can the biases of any one investigator or procedure be overcome.
