is psych a science? Flashcards
science
- a procedure in which a theory is formulated
- a suggestion drawn from this theory about what might happen
- forms a hypothesis that can then be tested in reality
replication
results are repeatable because of a standardised procedure
prediction
we can predict future results based on previous findings
control
because you can predict a future result you can control it, cause and effect is important here
falsification
concepts can be proven correct/incorrect if they are replicated, predicted and controlled
reductionism
scientific as it is more precise, more accurate predictions
isolates factors to determine cause and effect
however individual diffs not considered
empiricism
when a study uses traditional research methods e.g. observation/experiment to make a theory rather than abstract reasoning
Kuhn 1962
lack of paradigm in psychology
no shared assumptions that sciences like biology/physics are united under, critics argue that psychology is ‘pre-scientific’
what factors make psychology more scientific/objective
double-blind procedures where neither ppt or researcher know the aim
removes bias/subjectivity
study of animals due to evolutionary continuity between animal and humans
Rosenthal
researcher’s expectations distort accuracy of data recording
students who believed rats were ‘maze-bright’ timed their rats to be faster than ‘maze-dull’ rats when there was no actual difference between groups
what factors make psychology more subjective and unscientific
demand characteristics caused by low ecological validity and mundane realism
sampling bias (70% of social psych research projects from 1969-1979 used college students) - cannot generalise
anthropomorphism in animal studies
difficult to prove anything in psych due to unseen unempirical theories
credibility
how believable data is, so how believable theories are
increased by valid and reliable methods of data collection
sometimes the fact that a theory is useful is more important than it’s empiricism
