lesson 5 - Features Of Science, Emperical Methods, Paradigms And Paradigm Shifts And Objectivity

Question 1

What are the key features of science

Answer 1

Systematic and controlled approach to creating knowledge that we can rely on to predict and control the world eg find cures of schizophrenia

Question 2

When is psychology a science

Answer 2

• sample is large & representative
• Key words are generalised
• control confounding variables
• pilot studies are conducted
• element of control

Question 3

What does empirical methods mean

Answer 3

Gaining knowledge which relies on direct observation or testing. This can help separate unfounded beliefs and real truths

Question 4

What is a paradigm

Answer 4

A paradigm is a shared set of assumptions and agreed methods that are found within scientific disciplines.
Kuhn (1962) suggested that what distinguishes scientific and non-scientific disciplines is the presence of paradigms.
Social sciences like Psychology lack a universal acceptance of paradigms and that is why psychology might be viewed as a, “Pre- science” rather than a science. Natural sciences like Biology and Physics have a number of principles at their core, e.g. the theory of evolution. Psychology however, has too many internal disagreements and conflicting approaches to qualify as a science and is a pre-science.

Question 5

What is a paradigm shift

Answer 5

Kuhn stated that a paradigm shift is when, “The result of a scientific revolution occurs. A significant change in the dominant unifying theory of a scientific discipline occurs and causes a paradigm shift.”

Question 6

What are the stages that a paradigm shift occurs in

Answer 6

Paradigm shift occurs in two stages:
1)
One theory remains dominant within a scientific discipline. Some researchers might question the accepted paradigm and might have contradictory research that disagrees with the main paradigm. Counter evidence might start to accumulate against the main paradigm, critics might begin to gain popularity and eventually the counter evidence becomes hard to ignore. The present paradigm might then be overthrown due to the emergence of a new one. This is an example of a paradigm shift.
2) An established science makes rapid progress and a scientific revolution occurs due to the paradigm shift

Question 7

Paradigm shift example

Answer 7

A key example of paradigm shift is the work of Copernicus in the sixteenth century. The paradigm used to be that people thought that the Earth was at the centre of the universe, but Copernicus was responsible for a paradigm shift. He found that the sun is at the centre of the universe!

Question 8

What is objectivity

Answer 8

Objectivity is a key feature of science:
Objectivity can be defined as: “Dealing with facts in a way that is unaffected by beliefs, opinions, feelings or expectations

Question 9

Explain objectivity

Answer 9

good researcher is always objective and keeps a, “critical distance” from the research they are conducting.
Researchers should not let their personal opinions or biases interfere or affect the outcome of the research. This means that the findings of a piece of research should not be influenced by the psychologist that conducted the research in the first place, A high level of objectivity increases other researcher’s confidence that the results are accurate, and can be replicated.
Objectivity is the basis of the empirical method, and is more likely to be achieved when using laboratory experiments
or observations.