Features of science

Question 1

What is objectivity?

Answer 1

not allowing our own personal biases affect our data and/or the behaviour of the participants. It is the basis of the empirical method.

Question 2

What are empirical methods?

Answer 2

approaches which are based on gathering evidence through direct observation and experience e.g. experiments and observations are good examples

Question 3

Name 2 empirical methods

Answer 3

experiments and observations

Question 4

What is meant by replicability?

Answer 4

the extent to which procedures and findings can be repeated e.g. across different contexts and circumstances.

• Important in the validity of a finding.
• Also in reliability (test retest).
• Researchers should report investigations with precision and rigour so they can be verified by others

Question 5

What is meant by falsifiability?

Answer 5

Popper said that scientific theories should hold themselves up for hypothesis testing and the possibility of being proven false
* This is why we always have a null hypothesis
* Theories that have been tested repeatedly and not been falsified are the strongest in terms of science

Question 6

How does psychology achieve falsifiability?

Answer 6

Null hypotheses, theories being tested repeatedly

Question 7

How does theory construction occur?

Answer 7

Theory construction – occurs through gathering evidence i.e. through the empirical method. This forms a theory- a set of general laws or principles which can explain events or behaviours
* Could start with a hunch which then leads to experiments to develop the theory
* We should be able to make clear and precise predictions from the theory.

Question 8

Describe hypothesis testing

Answer 8

• Theories can lead to hypotheses
• These can then be tested – hypothesis testing- e.g. through empirical methods
• This testing may support the theory and strengthen it
• Or it may refute it, so the theory may need to be revised or revisited
• Deriving new hypotheses from an existing theory is called Deduction

Question 9

What is a paradigm?

Answer 9

– a set of shared assumptions and methods. Sciences have this shared paradigm.

Question 10

Where is psychology in terms of paradigms and science?

Answer 10

• Kuhn suggests psychology may be a pre-science as opposed to a natural science e.g. biology and physics
• He suggests that Psychology has too much disagreement and conflicting approaches to be classed as having a universal paradigm

Question 11

Describe how a paradigm shift happens

Answer 11

• Kuhn suggests that science progresses through a process of scientific revolution
• Ie researchers begin to question the accepted paradigm and this then gathers pace until a paradigm shift occurs.
• The paradigm shift is when the contradictory evidence cannot be ignored and there is a shift to that belief- the new paradigm