Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Conceptual > Making Theoretical Progress > Flashcards

Making Theoretical Progress Flashcards

1
Q

What is Deductive reasoning?

A

‘top down’ approach, more narrow, concerned with hypothesis testing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is Inductive reasoning?

A

‘bottom up’ approach, more open-ended, more exploratory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the The Vienna Circle?

A

Logical positivism (observation – induction – verification = demarcation of science)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Problems with Verificationism

A
  • Induction problem
  • What about unobservable facts?
  • Our observations may be wrong!
  • Our observations are not objective
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Who was Karl Popper (1902-1994)?

A
  • Austrian-born scholar
  • Member of the Vienna Circle
  • Professor at the London School of Economics
  • Popper’s initial interest was psychology
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What did Popper believe?

A
  • Falsification instead of verification
  • Science constantly questions its explanations
  • Physics: Progress through finding weaknesses of theories
  • Psychoanalysis: Progress through finding corroborating evidence
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is Falsification?

A

disproving a hypothesis or theory

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is Falsifiability?

A

criterion for demarcating science form nonscience

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Hypothetico-Deductive Method

A

-Observation – interpretation – hypothesis (falsifiable) – test – (loops around again)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is Scientific Progress?

A

Inductive & deductive reasoning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What did Popper believe about a hypothesis?

A

Hypothesis should be directed at a possible falsification

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are Degrees of falsification?

A
  • The more falsifiable a theory, the higher its scientific status
  • Example: wine sours because of organisms. Wine sours because of bacteria coming from the air
  • The more specific a statement, the more prone to falsification, the higher the scientific status
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is Theory of General Relativity?

A
  • Describes relationships between space time and mass

- Prediction: large masses bend space-time so it appears light is bent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the criteria for choosing theories?

A
  • Scope
  • Precision
  • Parsimony
  • Increasing falsifiability
  • Fruitfulness
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is Science ?

A

process of trial and error

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is scope?

A
  • A good theory makes wide-ranging claims about the world

- Example: Mars moves in an ellipse around the sun. All planets move in an ellipse around the sun.

17
Q

What is precision?

A
  • The more precise a theory the more falsifiable it is.
  • Example: Planets move in ellipses around the sun. Planets move in closed loops around the sun.
  • Operational definition –describes exactly what the variables are and how they will be measured.
18
Q

What is Parsimony?

A
  • Among competing theories, the one that makes the fewest assumptions should be favoured. -Occam’s Razor →simple theories are preferred
  • Example: Event: It is raining, and I saw a bright flash through my curtains. Explanation A: There was lightning. Explanation B: Some is trying to take pictures of me
19
Q

Is it good to increase falsifiability?

A
  • The more falsifiable a theory the better.
  • Theories should become more and more falsifiable: More content and more informative
  • A replacement theory should be more falsifiable than that which it replaced.
  • Example: All bread nourishes. Bread, with the exception of that particular batch of bread produced in the village in question, nourishes. All bread nourishes except bread made from wheat contaminated from a fungus
20
Q

What is fruitfulness?

A
  • Has the theory led to new empirical discoveries?
  • Does the theory lead to scientific progress?
  • Falsifying theories and offering more precise and falsifiable replacements leads to new discoveries
  • Example: Theory: Bats have weak eyes, but they are sufficient to see. Test: Blindfold bats and release them in room. Theory: Bats use their ears to avoid obstacles in the dark. Test: Plug the ears before releasing them. Theory: The bat uses echoes of its own squeaks rebounding. Test: Gag before releasing them
21
Q

What is Confirmation bias?

A

tendency to seek confirming evidence

22
Q

What are the problems with falsifiability?

A

Do not give up too easily: Newton’s laws of physics, the motion of Uranus, and the discovery of Neptune

23
Q

What are ad hoc modifications?

A
  • Ad hoc modification = changes to a theory that makes the theory less falsifiable
  • What are allowable and unallowable modifications?
  • Example: Fingerprint analysis
24
Q

Who was Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996)?

A
  • American physicist
  • The structure of scientific revolutions
  • Science is social activity
  • Scientific Paradigm -set of common views of what the discipline is about and how problems should be investigated
25
Q

A paradigm determines…?

A
  • What is to be observed and scrutinized
  • What kinds of questions should be asked
  • How the questions are to be structured
  • How the results of scientific investigations should be interpreted
  • How an experiment is to be conducted
  • What equipment will be used
26
Q

Structure of scientific revolution

A

Pre-science, normal science and revolution

27
Q

What is Pre-science?

A

Unorganized facts, observations and models to explain small scale phenomena

28
Q

What is normal science?

A

Researchers share paradigms. Attempts made to falsify the theory. Modifications can be made.

29
Q

What is revolution?

A

Confidence in paradigm decreases, crisis, scientific revolution, and paradigm shift

30
Q

Implications of Kuhn’s theory

A
  • Paradigms are ever changing
  • Revolution = progress?
  • Knowledge = relative and time dependent
  • Scientists engage in “puzzle-solving”
31
Q

Kuhn vs Popper

A

-Kuhn
-Normal science = important
-Scientists should criticise occasionally
-Hypercritical scientists don’t get any work done!
-Conformity and focused puzzle-solving are essential

-Popper
-Normal science does exist but ≠ good science
-Scientific approach = critical attitude
-Criticism and non-conformity are essential

32
Q

Problems with Kuhns account

A
  • Too vague
  • What is a severe trouble spot?
  • How long should scientists stick with a theory in the face of trouble spots?
  • Why should working with a theory for a long time improve the chance of identifying limitations?

Conceptual (10 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions