Features of science

Question 1

What is a theory?

Answer 1

A theory is a general law or principle that is used to explain something

Question 2

What are the 2 ways theory construction can happen in?

Answer 2

Inductive methods or deductive methods

Question 3

What are inductive methods?

Answer 3

A psychologist will gather evidence from direct experience or observations. Once a substantial amount of data has been collected the psychologist will take a step back and look for patterns in the data. If patterns are identified, they will develop a theory that can explain the patterns
Data → Patterns → Theory

Question 4

What are deductive methods?

Answer 4

A psychologist starts with a theory that interests them and then they test this theory with data. They set out to gather evidence to support or challenge their theory. Psychologists look at previous research and theory and then test the
hypotheses from those theories.
Theory → Analyse data → Accept/ reject hypothesis

Question 5

What are deductive methods typically associated with?

Answer 5

Scientific (and psychological) investigations

Question 6

What are the features of science?

Answer 6

Hypothesis testing, Empirical methods, replicability, objectivity, falsification and paradigm & paradigm shifts

Question 7

What is hypothesis testing?

Answer 7

An important feature of theories is they can be tested in a scientific way.
Every theory should have both a null hypothesis (a statement of no effect) and an alternative hypothesis (a statement of effect). Psychological research can be carried out to support or challenge these hypotheses and then one of these hypotheses is accepted and one is rejected.

Question 8

What happens if the alternative hypothesis is supported?

Answer 8

The theory is strengthened

Question 9

What happens if the alternative hypothesis is rejected?

Answer 9

The theory will need to be revisited or revised

Question 10

What is the process of developing a new hypothesis from an existing hypothesis called?

Answer 10

Deduction

Question 11

What does empirical mean?

Answer 11

That data must be collected through direct observations or experiments

Question 12

What is empirical researched based on?

Answer 12

Must have tangible evidence to support - not based on arguments or opinion

Question 13

What is research and theory not based on empirical methods or supported by empirical data?

Answer 13

Not scientific

Question 14

What is replicability?

Answer 14

Whether a research method and its findings can be repeated

Question 15

What does it mean if a study is replicable and the results are the same each time?

Answer 15

We can be sure of the reliability

Question 16

What could be the issue with unrepeatable studies that produce different results?

Answer 16

May have issues with the methodology - there may be a lack of control or flaws in the methods used

Question 17

What happens with studies that aren’t replicable?

Answer 17

These studies are of limited use in theory construction and in contributing to our understanding

Question 18

What does objectivity mean?

Answer 18

That all sources of vias are minimised and that personal or subjective ideas are eliminated

Question 19

What research methods are known to be the most objective?

Answer 19

Lab experiments

Question 20

What tests can be used to increase objectivity by reducing the chances of bias?

Answer 20

Single-blind and double-blind tests

Question 21

What is falsification?

Answer 21

Falsification works by finding evidence that disproves theories

Question 22

What happens to the theories that survive most attempts to falsify?

Answer 22

They tend to become the strongest and most convincing theories, not because they are necessarily true, but because despite the best efforts of researchers, they have not been proven false

Question 23

What does the process of falsification believe?

Answer 23

That in order to be more scientific, you should not always look for evidence and examples that fit your theory, but you should look for things that don’t

Question 24

When can a theory not be falsified?

Answer 24

If a theory is based on abstract concepts (ones that are not ‘concrete’) they cannot be falsified and are not scientific

Question 25

What is a paradigm?

Answer 25

A paradigm consists of the shared set of basic assumptions, ways of thinking, and methods of study that are commonly accepted by members of a discipline or group

Question 26

What is a paradigm shift?

Answer 26

A paradigm shift occurs when the old paradigm does not have enough sufficient evidence to be believed by the majority of people &/or a new belief is put forward that better reflects reality than the old paradigm