for and against- features of a science

Question 1

paradigms and paradigm shift FOR

Answer 1

• broad agreement that psy is study of mind and behaviour
• has gone through paradigm shift, eg from Wundt, structuralism, cognitive neuroscience
• Kuhn’s idea of science is said to be orderly and paradigmatic is flawed, there is internal conflict- so disagreements within science not just psychology
• therapies such as CBT

Question 2

paradigms and paradigm shift AGAINST

Answer 2

-lack of shared assumptions, so more like a pre-science so conflicting approaches eg bio and humanistic approach

Question 3

theory construction and hypothesis testing FOR

Answer 3

• psy has tested many theories
• elements of psy can be scientifically tested eg Miller using lab experiment
• all approaches have hypothesis testing and theory, eg, behaviourism and Pavlov

Question 4

theory construction and hypothesis testing AGAINST

Answer 4

-theories from approaches can’t be proven scientifically such as humanistic approach (idiographic), and psychodynamic (measuring unconscious mind is not testable)

Question 5

falsifiability FOR and AGAINST

Answer 5

• FOR, have a null hypothesis suggesting possibility of falsifiability
• AGAINST, humanistic and psychodynamic approach are both unfalsifiable as we can’t prove it wrong or right

Question 6

replicability for and against

Answer 6

• FOR, lab experiment and structured interviews are replicable due to high levels of control
• FOR, Controls researcher bias, standardisation and single and double blind procedure
• AGAINST, some methods are not applicable such as case studies and unstructured interviews
• AGAINST, psychodynamic and humanistic both use case studies
• AGAINST, replicability is hard even if a study is repeated as there may be different circumstances such as mood and tiredness

Question 7

objectivity and the empirical method FOR

Answer 7

• methods like labs are objective
• can check for bias through into inter-observer reliability
• experimental methods and observational methods are good examples of the empirical method
• double blind procedure controlled experiment effects

Question 8

objectivity and the empirical method AGAINST

Answer 8

• research a bias and psychodynamic approach is subjective as Freud used case studies in which he never met little hans
• cognitive as interference is used to interpret the cognitive processes behind observations which is subjective
• Psycho and humanistic are both untestable so not open to the empirical testing