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PSYO 2000 > Intro > Flashcards

Intro Flashcards

1
Q

What is science

A
  • Bordens & Abbott: a set of methods used to collect information about phenomena in a particular area
  • Harrington: an interconnected series of concepts and conceptual schemes that have developed as a result of observation, experimentation and are fruitful of further experimentation.
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2
Q

Scientific explanations are:

A
  1. Empirical (show me the data and controlled)
  2. Rational
  3. Testable
  4. Parsimonious: simple explanation first
  5. General
  6. Tentative
  7. Rigorously evaluated
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3
Q

Other types of explanations

A
  • pseudoscientific
  • common sense explanations
  • belief-based
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4
Q

Pseudoscientific explanations

A
  • Konrad and Lorenz (ethnologist), Sigmund Freud, William McDougall
  • aggression is an instinct
  • tautology: circular explanation
  • aggressive behaviour stems from aggressive instinct, and aggressive instinct causes aggressive behaviour
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5
Q

Methods of inquiry

A
  1. Tenacity
  2. Intuition
  3. Faith
  4. Authority
  5. Rational
  6. Empirical
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6
Q

Method of tenacity

A

Based on beliefs, habits or superstitions

Belief perseverance

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7
Q

Method of intuition

A

Hunch or gut feeling

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8
Q

Method of authority

A
  • only useful in early stages of research
  • from experts
  • common in history
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9
Q

Rational method

A
  • from rationalism
  • based on logic
  • used in philosophy
  • essential in planning of research
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10
Q

Empirical method

A
  • based on data

- what this course is about

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11
Q

Eastern European tradition

A
  • dialectic thinking/reasoning (Kant, Hegel, Marx, Engels)
  • a method: thesis, antithesis, synthesis
  • an explanation for historical: sometimes explains changes in science
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12
Q

Dialectic Changes (group selection theory)

A
  • early years (thesis): group selection theory
  • later years (antithesis): kin selection theory
  • modern perspective (synthesis): multi-level selection
  • illustrates the move from polarized stances to an even middle
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13
Q

Persistence of theories: popper

A
  • falsifiability: falsification of scientific data/theories; main method of verification
  • his philosophy in science: critical rationalism, falsification
  • rejects: classical empiricism, observationalist, or inductivist approach
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14
Q

Persistence of theories: Kuhn

A
  • paradigms
  • theories persist and endure time in unjustified ways sometimes (lack of supporting counter evidence)
  • Kuhn: theories die with their theorists
    • cause: the massive life-long investment, financial investment, and time and money spent convincing granting agencies etc
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15
Q

Persistence of theories: imre lakatos

A
  • research programs important in the context of falsification (not theories or hypotheses)
  • progressive research programs
  • degenerating research programs
  • synthesis of popper’s empirical validity focus and Kuhn’s perspective on conventional consistency and persistence
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16
Q

7 dichotomous approaches to science

A
  1. Fundamental vs Applied
  2. Experimental vs Non-experimental
  3. Deductive vs Inductive
  4. Nomothetic vs Idiographic
  5. Theoretical (theory driven) vs A-theoretical (data-driven)
  6. Diachronic (historical) vs Synchronic
  7. Quantitative vs Qualitative
17
Q

Fundamental vs Applied

A
  • before 90s countries that were focused on applied research were typically poor (switched now)
  • problem because we need fundamental research to have applied research
  • applied research can be bad if not based on GOOD fundamental research
18
Q

Experimental vs Non-experimental

A
  • experimental: control over the assignment of participants (controlled conditions)
  • Quasi-experimental: no control over assignment of participants (no randomization). Sometimes no controlled conditions. Often associated with time series, pre/post test, single case experiments etc
  • non-experimental:correlational and descriptive
19
Q

Descriptive research

A
  • observational: counting cells, animals etc. Participant observation (anthropology). Naturalistic observations (ethology). Obtrusive or non reactive observations (physical traces, archives).
  • case studies: clinical (neuropsychology)
  • surveys/interviews: personality, social psych etc
  • others: content analysis, meta-analysis
20
Q

Correlational research

A
  • can help generate new hypotheses

- correlation to causation

21
Q

Non-experimental research

A
  • correlation vs causation: how to use correlational research to generate experimental research
  • small n research: how to use small n research to generate experimental data
  • anecdotal data, unsystematic observations, pilot studies often initiate hard core experimental studies
22
Q

Ecological validity

A
  • definition: an experiment has ecological validity if it reflects real life situations or the data that would be obtained in real life settings
  • difficult to obtain
  • exceptions: naturalistic observation, field experiments
  • related issues: invasiveness, obtrusiveness
23
Q

Deductive vs Inductive

A
  • abduction (retroduction): a form of logical inference which starts with an observation then seeks to find the simplest explanation. Educated guesses. Common in medicine, clinical diagnoses etc.
  • deduction (subsumption): reasoning from premises to reach a logically certain conclusion. Experimentations. Common in hypothetic deductive sciences
  • Induction (generalization): premises are views as supplying some evidence for the truth of the larger hypothesis/conclusion. Observations. Common in observational sciences
24
Q

Deductive vs inductive continued

A
  • inductive: observation driven. Theory building. Come to generalization
  • deductive: theory driven, theory testing. Come to specific preposition
25
Q

Observations and generalizations

A
  • induction: theories from facts
  • appeal to prior knowledge
  • generalizations from observable facts
  • inductivists favour experience over logic
  • modern approach to inductivism: bayesian (use of conditional probabilities. Importance of priors, history, updatable knowledge)
26
Q

Epistemological distinction

A
  • idiographic vs nomothetic sciences

- a distinction of necessity or preference

27
Q

Nomothetic

A
  • large n research
  • subjects are grouped
  • data = group averages
  • variability with groups is important
  • statistical significance assessed by inferential statistics
28
Q

Idiographic/morphogenic

A
  • each subject is a separate experiment
  • small n research
  • within-subject designs
  • reliability assessed by replication
29
Q

Outliers(a problem with nomothetic sciences)

A
  • dilution or elimination of exceptional cases
  • outliers can be informative in relation to the norm
  • abnormal behaviour can inform us on normal behaviour and make us aware of isolated, idiosyncratic populations

PSYO 2000 (9 decks)

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