features of science

Question 1

features of science

Answer 1

empirical method
objectivity
replicability
falsifiability
paradigm shift
theory construction

Question 2

what is the empirical method?

Answer 2

the process of collecting data from direct experience
the data we gather from direct observation of participants
including observations, experiments, self-report, case studies and content analysis

Question 3

what is objectivity?

Answer 3

data should be collected and interpreted in ways that avoid bias
data is not influenced by researchers opinions or expectations
should produce subjective conclusions

Question 4

how to improve objectivity?

Answer 4

systematic data collection
double blind trial
peer review

Question 5

what is replicability?

Answer 5

scientists are required to carefully record their methods and produce standardised procedures so that other scientists can repeat their experiments

Question 6

why is replicability important?

Answer 6

positive results may be due to an unknown variable or by change
so by replicating the experiment by using same methods and finding the same results it increases confidence in the validity in the original experiment

Question 7

what is falsifiability?

Answer 7

the ability to collect supporting evidence for a theory is not enough to be scientific
to be scientific, the theory must be constructed in a way that it can be empirically tested to demonstrate it is not true

Question 8

what is paradigm shift?

Answer 8

when scientific fields develop in a series of scientific revolutions
new contradictory evidence are generated that don’t fit into old paradigm but once sufficient evidence is collected a paradigm shift occurs when they move over to new paradigm

Question 9

stages of scientific theory construction

Answer 9

1. observation
2. construct a testable hypothesis
3. conduct an experiment and gain experimental data
4. propose a theory that explains the results