Features of science Flashcards
What are the key features of a science?
Objectivity
Falsifiability
Replicability
Empirical method
Objectivity
Researchers should remain totally value free when studying; they should try to remain totally unbiased in their investigations. I.e. Researchers are not influenced by personal feelings and experiences.
Objectivity means that all sources of bias are minimized and that personal or subjective ideas are eliminated. The pursuit of science implies that the facts will speak for themselves, even if they turn out to be different from what the investigator hoped.
Control
All extraneous variables need to be controlled in order to be able to establish cause (IV) and effect (DV).
Hypothesis testing
E.g. a statement made at the beginning of an investigation that serves as a prediction and is derived from a theory. There are different types of hypotheses (null and alternative), which need to be stated in a form that can be tested (i.e. operationalized and unambiguous).
Empirical evidence
Refers to data being collected through direct observation or experiment.
Empirical evidence does not rely on argument or belief.
Instead, experiments and observations are carried out carefully and reported in detail so that other investigators can repeat and attempt to verify the work.
Replicability
The extent to which scientific procedures and findings can be replicated by other researchers
Predictability
We should be aiming to be able to predict future behavior from the findings of our research
Paradigm
A set of shared assumptions and agreed methods within a scientific discipline
Paradigm shift
The result of scientific revolution: a significant change in the dominant unifying theory within a scientific discipline
Falsifiability
The principle that a theory cannot be considered scientific unless it admits the possibility of being proved untrue
