Lecture 3 - Naturalism and Behaviouralism

Question 1

What is Positivism (According to Bryman, 2001)?

Answer 1

‘The epistemological position that advocates the application of the methods of natural sciences to the study of social reality.’

Question 2

What are the main features of Positivism?

Answer 2

1. ) Value free social science
2. ) Use of natural science methods
3. ) Hypothesis driven
4. ) Tendency towards quantitative method

Question 3

What are the key features of a Hypothesis?

Answer 3

1. ) A statement that may or may not be true
2. ) Has to be falsifiable
3. ) Testable through empirical observation

Question 4

In positivism, where do social phenomena exist in relation to the observer?

Answer 4

Social phenomena are independent from the observer.

Question 5

In positivism, where do facts exist in relation to the observer?

Answer 5

Facts are independent from the observer and his/her values.

Question 6

What does Behavioualism stress?

Answer 6

1. ) Observable Behaviour
2. ) Empirical Testing
3. ) Replication
4. ) Objectivity

Question 7

What are the 5 parts of a good theory?

Answer 7

1. ) It has significant explanatory power
2. ) Falsifiable
3. ) Generalisable
4. ) Has prescriptive utility
5. ) Parsimony (Explains a lot with a little)

Question 8

Give some examples of Behaviouralism

Answer 8

Karl Popper (1959) 
Swan Hypothesis: 'All swans are white'

Question 9

What are the criticisms of Positivism and Behaviouralism

Answer 9

• Need to be careful of mindless empiricism

- It is difficult to empirically measure non-observable phenomena e.g. sexism etc