Chapter 1 and 2 Flashcards
6 Methods of Knowledge Acquisition
1) tenacity: ideas that have been accepted for so long that they have an aura of truth. Based on habit and superstition, no guarantee of accuracy
2) Institution: accepting ideas as valid because the “feel” true. Based on hunches and gut feeling. No TRUE INTELLECTUAL EFFORT
3) Authority: accepting ideas that come from a respected source. Method of faith
4) Rationalism: logical reasoning or deduction.
- development of valid ideas using existing ideas and the principles of logic. more advanced than intuition because comparing previous facts (PREMISE STATEMENTS) to existing scenario (known fact: it has to be cold outside to snow, so there fore, because it is snowing outside, it must be cold)
5) Empiricism: gaining knowledge by direct sensory experiences, using OBSERVATIONS
cons: individuals are subjective; sensory information can be misinterpreted
6) scientific method: process of inquiry
Inductive vs Deductive reasoning
inductive reasoning uses a few limited observation to GENERATE general hypothesis,
deductive reasoning USES a general hypothesis to generate a prediction about specific observation.
Characteristics of a good hypothesis:
must be logical, testable, refutable, positive.
True of False: a research process is circle-like
true
serendipity
fluke occurences that lead to beneficial outcomes- chance observations because of error etc.
basic research vs applied research
basic research can describe, predict, or explain fundamental principles of behaviour but may not have a practical application.
applied research has a direct and immediate relevance to the solution of a ‘real world’ practical problem.
definition of systematic inter-related studies
research extending to other topics or areas
definition of theory
set of statements about a behavioral phenomon: DESCRIBES, EXPLAINS, PREDICTS
1) that best summarizes and organizes existing knowledge about phenmenon,
2) provides a tentative explanation of the phenomenon
3) serves the bases for making predictions about the behavior.,
Parsimony
characteristic of a good theory. made up of the minimal number of constructs and assumptions that are necessary to adequately explain and predict
characteristics of a good theory
1) advanced knowledge by generating a lot of research
2) must be capable of being falsified
3) parsimony: made of the minimal number of constructs and assumptions that are necessary to adequately explain and predict.
features of an empirical question
1) must be answerable with DATA
2) terms of the question must be precisely defined
What is an operational definition and why is it important?
a clear definition of a concept in terms of how it is measured, or a set of operations to be performed. important because it forces one to clearly evaluate how they are going to measure something, and allows for scientific replication.
what is an example that may skew someone utilizing empiricism as a way of learning?
optical illusions; because empiricisms are based using sensory information and observation, an illusion may by misperceived
explain the empirical, public and objective elements of the scientific method
1) empirical: there must be structured and systematic observation. Conditions must be specified to accurately answer questions
2) Public side: observations and statements must be able to be replicated and published in peer-reviewed journals
3) objective: unbiased and data driven, all conclusions need to be supported by objective data
A pseudoscience often lacks _____ evidence
lacks empirical evidence- may be replaced with subjective evidence like paid testimonials that say the treatment works etc.
