How science works Flashcards
What is cause and effect?
When you can measure the effect the manipulation of an IV is having on a DV. In order for this you need to control extraneous variables which may distort the DV.
How do you ensure cause and effect?
Data collection must occur through carefully constructed experiments and observations (rather than relying on attitudes and beliefs)
There must be hypothesis testing, and the manipulation and control of variables
Researchers should be objective and unbiased in their approach
What is falsification?
Theories and laws about the world should come first and these should be used to generate expectations and hypotheses which can be falsified by observations and experiment.
What is objectivity?
Researchers should remain totally value free when studying, they should try to remain totally unbiased in their investigations.
Objectivity means that all sources of bias are minimised and that personal or subjective ideas are eliminated.
What is hypothesis testing?
There are different types of hypotheses (null and alternative), which need to be stated in a form that can be tested (operationalised and unambiguous).
What is the manipulation of variables?
In order to be sure that one variable (IV) is having an effect on another (DV), you must manipulate the IV by creating two or more conditions and then measuring its effect on the DV.
What is hypothesis testing?
All extraneous variables need to be controlled in order to be able to establish cause (IV) and effect (DV).
What is induction?
The primary goal of research is generating new theories.
What is deduction?
The primary goal of research is testing theories
