Features of science Flashcards
when is psychology a science?
key features:
- sample is large + representative
- key words are defined + operationalised
- objective
- high element of control
- pilot studies are conducted
- confounding variables have been identified and controlled for
- experimental hypothesis used
empirical methods
any method of gaining knowledge which relies on direct observations or findings
separate unfounded beliefs from the real truth
need to look for facts + scientific evidence that can be directly tested using empirical evidence
paradigm
a shared set of assumptions and agreed methods that are found within scientific disciplines
is psych considered to be a science or a pre-science?
psych may be considered a pre-science as:
- lacks a universal acceptance of paradigms
- too many internal disagreements and conflicting ideas/ theories/ approaches
e.g. approaches - many approaches e.g. biological, behavioural etc.. that explain behaviour
paradigm shift
a significant change in the dominant unifying theory of a scientific discipline occurs + causes a paradigm shift
- dominant theory remains
- researchers may question the accepted paradigm
- counter evidence may start to accumulate against the main paradigm
- counter evidence gains popularity + hard to ignore
- present paradigm may be overthrown due to emergence of new one
- established science makes rapid progress
- scientific revolution occurs = causes paradigm shift
example of paradigm shifts
- MSM –> WMM
- introspection –> behavioural approach
objectivity
- key feature of science
- dealing with facts in a way that is unaffected by beliefs, opinions, feelings or expectations
good researcher doesn’t let their opinions/ biases interfere or affect the outcome of the research = keeps a ‘critical distance’
high level of objectivity = results may be more accurate + can be replicated
more likely to be achieved using laboratory experiments = best way to be objective
replicability
the extent to which findings of research can be repeated in different contexts + circumstances
research is scientific and reliable when it is carried out again + whether findings can be repeated and similar = reliability
relies on findings being consistent over time = helps validate research findings
if we cannot repeat the findings gained from research, indicates that we should not be using these results to inform policy or theories
purposes of replicability
- guarding against scientific fraud
- can see if results gained were ‘a one off fluke’ = possible caused by confounding/ extraneous variables
- if research findings can be repeated = findings are reliable
- indicate if research is valid
when is replicability the greatest?
when the research method of a lab experiment has been used
- rep lowest when experimenter has failed to manipulate the IV properly e.g. observations
falsifiability
the notion that scientific theories can potentially be disproved by evidence = proving a hypothesis wrong
theories / ideas can be falsified when other research/ theories have failed to support it/ severely contradicted it = assume the idea of the research is false or incorrect
shown through experimental testing
sciences e..g biology, physics are not falsified easily = strong
theory
an idea that is based on empirical evidence
an explanation for describing a phenomenon
why is theory construction a major feature of how science works?
- ideas can be tested
- predictions/ hypotheses can be tested empirically
- data can be rejected/ support theory
- testing cycle (re-testing) = achieve progress
- must be testable + falsifiable
- theories constructed via hypothesis testing (one-tailed/ two-tailed)
deductive reasoning
- propose a theory
- develop a hypothesis
- test this theory
- draw conclusions
inductive reasoning
- observe facts in the environment
- develop a hypothesis
- test the hypothesis
- draw conclusions
- devise a theory based on this info
