features of science

Question 1

objectivity

Answer 1

• researchers must remain objective, not letting their opinions or biases interfere
• lab experiments are the most objective as they’re highly controlled
• a natural experiment isn’t objective as variables can’t be controlled
• observations and content analysis can have objectivity issues as categories are chosen by the researcher

Question 2

empirical methods

Answer 2

• the idea that knowledge is gained from direct experiences objectively and systematically to produce quantitative data
• theories must be empirically tested and verified to be scientific

Question 3

replicability

Answer 3

• the ability to conduct research again and achieve consistent results
• if findings can be generalised, any replication of a study using the same standardised procedures should reach the same conclusions

Question 4

falsifiability

Answer 4

• the idea that a research hypothesis could be proven wrong
• scientific research cant be proven true, only subjected to research attempts to prove them wrong
  e.g. the freudian psychodynamic approach lacks falsifiability
• is falsification cant be achieved, the theory can’t be derived from a scientific discipline

Question 5

theory construction

Answer 5

• a theory is a set of principles to explain certain behaviours or events
• to construct a theory, evidence to support it must be collected first

Question 6

inductive and deductive processes of theory construction

Answer 6

• if researchers start to discover patterns or trends in research then a theory can be constructed. then researchers can make a hypothesis = inductive process
• deductive process = begin with a theory relating to a topic of interest, then narrowed down into a more specific hypothesis that can be tested empirically

Question 7

hypothesis testing

Answer 7

• a hypothesis must be objective and measurable so at the end of an investigation a decision can be made as to if results support or refute the hypothesis
• if they support the hypothesis, the theory will have been strengthened
• if they refute the hypothesis, alterations will be made to the theory

Question 8

what is a paradigm?

Answer 8

• a set of shared assumptions and methods within a discipline
• suggested this is what separates scientific disciplines from non-scientific disciplines
• psychology has too much disagreement between its core approaches to be considered a science

Question 9

paradigm shift

Answer 9

• a field of study moves through a scientific revolution
• scientists may challenge a paradigm, and others will follow and more research is done to contradict existing assumptions
• this is a paradigm shift