Features of Science

Question 1

What are the 5 features of science?

Answer 1

objective
empiricism
replicability
falsifiability
paradigm

Question 2

What does it mean to be objective?

Answer 2

that research is unbiased

this is achieved by studying observable, measureable and concrete concepts (uuing methods that aren’t open to interpretation)

Question 3

What does empiricism mean?

Answer 3

that evidence hpuld be gathered through direct observation. Empirisists believe that all behaviour is acquired after birth and therefore observable.

Question 4

What does it mean to be replicable?

Answer 4

to have the ability to repeat research and achieve the same or similar findings
(which can be acheived through standardies procedures and a high degree of controlto show temporal validity)

Question 5

What is falsifiability?

Answer 5

the theories findings should be able to be tested to either refute or support

Question 6

What is a paradigm?

Answer 6

an agreed subject matter and set of procedures

when nthere is strong evidence against the curent paradigm, a new one replaces it

Question 7

What is Popper’s Hypothetico-Deductive model (theory construction and hypothesis testing)?

Answer 7

1. an observation is made of phenomena in the world
2. a theory is developed to explain the obervation and a hypothesis is developed
3. a hypotheis is tested using epired methods
4. results are analysed to evalulate whether the hypothesis is supported or not (repeat step 2-3 if needed)

Question 8

What is the process of deduction?

Answer 8

scientists test their theories in as many different ways as possible - they try to disproof

Question 9

What does it mean if a hypothesis is consistently supprted by empirical findings?

Answer 9

the theory is till not certain to be true becuase there could always be an exception or disproof that hasn’t been found

Question 10

What is Kuhn’s paradigm and paradigm shift?

Answer 10

Thomas Kuhn argued that Popper’s view of scientific progress was too idealistic and claimed that in reality, scientists cling to exising theories

science is therefore more resistant to change and requires a complete revolution in order to progress

Question 11

What are the 3 stages in development of a science?

Answer 11

pre-science (there i no generally accepted paradigm, several different opinions)

normal science (one dominent parasigm)

revolutionary science (evidence mounts against the dominant paradigm and a new paradigm becomes dominent)

Question 12

What does Kuhn argue about psychology?

Answer 12

that Psychology is a ‘pre-science’ becuase there are many different approaches to the subject matter