Module 1- Psych as a Science Flashcards
Epistemology
- A way of knowing/ Study of knowledge
- how we gain the truth about the world
- numerous ways of knowing; each as advantages and disadvantages (many diff types)
Why is science the superior epistemology?
- Superior epistemology bc has most advantages over the other epistemologies
- defined by its approach of gaining knowledge and assumptions
- involving reasoning/ logical thinking and empiricism
what methodology does science use?
Scientific Method
what epistemology is used to gain knowledge on psych phenomena?
Science
3 elements of science
- method
- step by steps to gain knoweldge
- steps should be the same access researchers - objective
- should be free from bias however, all humans carry some bias so therefore want to limit the amount of bias - reliable
- knowledge gained by scientific method should be replicable
- need to do this for the knowledge to be published into knowledge base
What is science characterized by?
Doubt
- scientists doubt everything and need to verify everything
- verify by empirical verification
epistemology: tenacity
- gaining knowledge by accepting long standing beliefs
- ex. folk wisdom, supersitions
why is tenacity hard to change
- beliefs never tested for accuracy and are just accepted into society
- “everyone knows that idea”; common held beliefs
Epistemology: Authority
- accepting info because it comes from a socially respected source
ex. politcal figures, celebrities.. - easy way to gain info; no thinking required we trust the person who has the higher authority
- like tenacity, no evaluation of the information and is just accepted
Epistemology: Reasoning/ Rationalism
- using our own brain power to evaluate what knowledge is valid
- engaging in critical thought
- knowledge is deemed valid if out reasoning is logical
- improvement over tenacity and authority
limitations to rationalism?
- Incorrect Assumptions
- Consistency
Epistemology: Common Sense
- involves interaction with the phenomena
- based on empiricism
Empiricism
- gaining knowledge through one or more of the 5 senses
- none= no empirical knowledge and cant use science
Limitations to common sense and empiricism
- Biased perceptions
- Contradictory Empirical observations can lead to contrdictory conclusions; can’t tell us what is the superior conclusion
Epistemology: Science
- involves reasoning and empiricism
- involves logical reasoning and verifying with empirical observations
- systematic empiricism; making empirical observations in a logical way
why can’t religion be addressed scientifically?
- cannot gain empirical evidence/ sensory info
- not observable
- Not in the domain of science
Scientific method
- series of steps researchers in science use to gather knowledge
- each step in concrete
5 steps of scientific method
- identifying the problem and forming a research hypothesis
- designing an experiment
- conducting an experiment
- hypothesis testing
- conveying/ communicating the results
what does the scientific method ensure?
Reliability; by replication
for research to be incorporated in the knowledge base, what has to happen?
- conclusions have to be replicated by multiple researchers (peer reviewed) in order to be published
- all the researchers must get the same conclusions by following the same steps
First Objective of Science
- answering who, what, when, where
- describe a new phenomenon we know little about in as much detail as possible
- by naturalistic and correlational methods
Second Objective of Science
- answering why
- why is this behaviour happening
- why is this an issue
- dev theories for why this phenomenon is happening
- by experimental methods
Third Objective of Science
- Predict when will it occur again
- if we can predict future occurrences then likely our explanations are accurate
- by causal explanations
Fourth Objective of Science
- Intervention
- apply the scientific knowledge to better society
- prevent bad things
by real world testing
Research Design
- Specific steps researchers use to collect, analyze and interpret collected data
- steps in each design are standardized
what determines the research design
- research question
- many types of research designs, but the one you use has to be best to answer your research question
Main categories of research design in order of increasing researcher control
- descriptive
- correlational
- quasi- experimental
- experimental
Descriptive Research: Research Method
- used to describe the phenomenon
- concerned with when and what
- most natural; no researcher intervention (least amount of control)
- use this when we know very little about a phenomenon
Correlational Research: Research Method
- type of descriptive research
- examines the degree of relationship between variables
- no researcher manipulation
How is degree of correlational research measured?
Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient
(r)
ranges from -1 to 1
Valence
- sign on the r value
- indicates a positive (+) or negative relationship (-) between variables
positive correlation
- plus sign
- both variables increase of decrease together
Negative correlation
- Minus sign
- one variable increases the other decreases
Absolute value of correlation
- the actual number
- closer the number to 0= weak correlation
closer the number to 1= stronger correlation
correlation does not equal
CAUSATION
- know variables are related but we dont know how or if one variable is causing a change in the other
Differential Research
- type of correlational research
- examines variables in their natural state
- only one variable is naturally formed
Quasi Experimental
- more control
- mix of natural and wanting to make causal statements (where control comes in)
Experimental Research
- wants to determine cause
- least natural bc has most control
steps of experimental research
- hypothesis; prediction on how manipulation of IV will affect DV
- involving multiple groups: obtaining diff measures of DV to see the treatment affect
- confounding variables; other explanations of changes in the DV that are not the IV
Treatment Effect
- how the DV changes during IV manipulation
- see the difference in DV in diff groups who experience diff levels of the IV
Confounding Variable
- other explanations for the treatment affect
Strengths and limitations of the high control in experimental research
-Strengths; can make definitive answers and rule out confounding variables
- limitation; creates an artificial environment ^ lack of external validity but has alot of internal validity
- often can’t manipulate the situation ^ cant use this
2 types of cause
- Necessary condition for cause
- Sufficient condition for cause
- necessary condition for cause
- condition is necessary for change in the DV, but not the only requirement
-. ex being female is necessary for pregnancy but not the only requirement
- Sufficient condition for cause
- this condition is enough to cause the event/ DV
-but other things can cause the same effect - ex. being scared can increase heart rate, but there are other things that can increase heart rate
