Intro to Scientific Method 1.1

Question 1

What are the ways of knowing the world around us?

Answer 1

• Superstition
• Intuition
• Authority
• Logical argument
• Scientific method

Question 2

What is Inductive logic?

Answer 2

Specific to general, concrete to abstract ex: observations to hypothesis

Question 3

What is Deductive logic?

Answer 3

General to specific, abstract to concrete ex: hypothesis to predictions and data

Question 4

What makes a research question interesting?

Answer 4

• basic science motivation (ex: testing aspect of a theory)
• applied science motivation (real world application)
• human curiosity

Question 5

What is a scientific hypothesis?

Answer 5

-Testable and falsifiable explanations to account for

observed patterns or trends

Question 6

What is statistical hypothesis?

Answer 6

Mathematical statements used in inferential
hypothesis testing
-Relevant to statistical tests
-Null hypothesis x Alternative hypothesis

Question 7

What makes something testable?

Answer 7

• Needs to be empirically measurable
• Needs to be falsifiable
• If X causally influences Y, then manipulating X
  will change Y

Question 8

What are the main data collection methods?

Answer 8

-Conventional methods -> Facilitate interpretation

• Novel Methods -> sometimes necessary, extra precautions to prove methods are valid
• want clean comparable data

Question 9

Iterate

Answer 9

Graded correctness over time

Question 10

What are objectives of scientific research?

Answer 10

Description

• Based on careful observation
• Develop theories

Explanation

• Provide reasons phenomena occur.
• Develop hypotheses and test them

Control
-Understanding causal relationships affords control over them

Question 11

What are scientific laws?

Answer 11

specific statements whose empirical support is beyond a

reasonable doubt, often expressed mathematically

Question 12

What are scientific theories?

Answer 12

Set of related statements that explain and predict

phenomena. Based on facts and used to generate hypotheses and predictions.

Question 13

Testability (falsifiability)

Answer 13

There must be the potential to empirically prove a theory as
false if it is indeed false (Popper, 1959)

Question 14

Parsimony

Answer 14

Two accurate explanations for a phenomenon, the simpler one

is preferred

Question 15

Precision and Accuracy for theories

Answer 15

A theory or model is preferred if it is more precise. It should fit the facts and accurately predict new ones.