Features of Science Flashcards
replicability
the extent to which scientific methods and their results can be repeated by other researchers across other contexts and circumstances, to check the validity and reliability of results
psychology has replicability
all research must be written up into a psychological report, so all features are written up in depth and can be replicated
psychology doesn’t have replicability
some theories have been built around subjective studies
e.g. psychodynamic theory
objectivity
where all possible biases from the researcher are minimised so that they don’t influence or distort the research process
psychology has objectivity
experimental conclusions are drawn from experiments in well-controlled settings and without the influence of researcher’s bias
psychology doesn’t have objectivity
researchers can boas their results to prove their hypothesis correct
the empirical method
when evidence is collected through making direct observations and through direct experiences
- theory is not scientific unless it can be empirically tested
psychology has the empirical method
experiments done on pps gain conclusions
psychology doesn’t have the empirical method
conclusions and theories are not always built upon experimental research, sometimes more subjective
falsifiability
a theory cannot be considered scientific unless it allows itself to be proven untrue
- popper (1934) argues this as the key criteria for a scientific theory
psychology has falsifiability
many theories have been proved wrong after replicability of the experiment
psychology doesn’t have falsifiability
some theories don’t create conclusions and theories based on experiments, only subjective ideas/observations
theory
a set of general principles and laws which can be used to explain specific events or behaviours
theory construction
gathering evidence from direct observation during investigations
psychology has theory construction
every experiment has a conclusion which supports or builds facts into a theory
psychology doesn’t have theory construction
psychologists often make inferences rather than directly building theories
hypothesis testing
deriving new hypotheses from already existing theories
psychology has hypothesis testing
theories and aims are based in hypothesis and proven correct
psychology doesn’t have hypothesis testing
hypotheses can be proven wrong and so the theory requires modification
paradigm
a set of shared ideas and assumptions/methods
paradigm shift
significant change in these central assumptions
psychology has paradigms and paradigm shifts
umbrellas of different paradigms and individual works
psychology doesn’t have paradigms and and paradigm shifts
multiple approaches exist, no one single paradigm
