Lecture 1 - course intro

Question 1

what are the key properties of scientific theories?

Answer 1

Testable predictions and falsifiability

Question 2

what does the scientific method involve?

Answer 2

Observation (data), explanation (theory), and prediction (hypothesis)

Question 3

what is a paradigm in science?

Answer 3

a framework for understanding and investigating phenomena that defines concepts, research questions, and methodologies in a discipline

Question 4

what historical theory was replaced by germ theory?

Answer 4

Miasma theory, which believed disease was caused by particles in foul odors

Question 5

what are the steps involved in the scientific method?

Answer 5

the steps involved in the scientific method are observation (data collection), explanation (theory formation), and prediction (hypothesis generation)

Question 6

why is falsifiability an important property of scientific theories?

Answer 6

Falsifiability is important because it allows theories to be tested and potentially disproven, which is essential for scientific progress and refining knowledge

Question 7

what was the historical significance of John Snow’s cholera case map and Semmelweis’s handwashing data?

Answer 7

John Snow’s cholera case map and Semmelweis’s handwashing data provided evidence that challenged the miasma theory and supported the germ theory of disease, which posits that microbes cause disease

Question 8

What are the main components of the scientific method

Answer 8

The main components of the scientific method are:
- observation (data)
- explanation (theory)
- prediction (hypothesis)

Question 9

what are the properties of scientific theories?

Answer 9

the properties of scientific theories include:
- testable predictions
- falsifiability (the ability to generate hypotheses that can be evaluated against data and disallowed by potential observations or patterns of data)

Question 10

How is scientific knowledge refined?

Answer 10

scientific knowledge is refined by:
- provisionally accepting a theory if a theoretical prediction is confirmed by observation and testing another hypothesis
- making theoretical adjustments to bring the theory in accord with disconfirming results
rejecting the theory in favor of an alternative that is consistent with the data when disconfirming results are obtained

Question 11

what is a paradigm in the context of scientific research?

Answer 11

• a paradigm is a framework for understanding and investigating phenomena within a discipline
• it defines the concepts used in theories, the research questions addressed by the discipline, and the methodologies used to investigate these questions

Question 12

How did the Miasma Theory explain the cause of diseases?

Answer 12

The Miasma Theory explained the cause of diseases as being caused by particles suspended in foul odors - miasma - emanating from rotting organic material. proximity to a miasma was considered a key vulnerability factor

Question 13

What led to the shift from Miasma Theory to Germ Theory?

Answer 13

The shift from Miasma Theory to Germ Theory was heralded by findings such as Semmelweis’s data on handwashing reducing infections and John Snow’s map of cholera cases identifying a cluster around a contaminated water pump

Question 14

What was the focus of Freud’s approach to understanding behaviour?

Answer 14

Freud’s approach focused on “looking inward” to consider how the unconscious mind influenced thoughts and behavior

Question 15

what was the main principle of Watson’s Methodological Behaviorism?

Answer 15

Watson’s Methodological Behaviorism rejected the study of unobservable phenomena, such as overt behaviors, and the relationships between stimuli and their behavioral consequences.

Question 16

How did Skinner’s Radical Behaviorism differ from Watson’s approach?

Answer 16

Skinner’s Radical Behaviorism broadened the definition of “behavior” to include “private” events (e.g. thoughts and feelings) as legitimate scientific topics of study and argued that the external environment was the determinant of both observable and unobservable behaviors

Question 17

What does the Cognitive Paradigm emphasize in the study of psychology?

Answer 17

The cognitive paradigm emphasizes the study of mental events and representations as causal determinants of behavior, seeking to understand the processes that transform stimuli into behaviors.

Question 18

What questions are explored in the Cognitive Paradigm regarding cognitive processes?

Answer 18

The Cognitive Paradigm explores questions such as:
- what processes are needed to accurately relate changes in stimuli to changes in behaviors?
- what is the functional relationship between different kinds of cognitive processes?

Question 19

What is the focus of the Biological Paradigm in psychology?

Answer 19

the biological paradigm focuses on explaining cognition and behavior in terms of biological processes (e.g. patterns of neural activity) and seeks to understand how brain regions perform particular cognitive functions, how cognitive function are performed by neurobiological mechanisms, and how patterns of behavior or psychological processes are influenced by genetics.

Question 20

How does the Biological paradigm relate to other paradigms in psychology?

Answer 20

The Biological Paradigm is synergistic with, and extends, work within the Cognitive and Behaviorist paradigms.