Philosophical Framework of Measurement Flashcards
Chapter 6
Who developed the scientific method
2 people
- Nicolaus Copernicus
- Galileo Galilei
What is the “most” important feature about the scientific method?
It is systematic
What does it mean when we say the scientific method is systematic?
It should be based on agreed rules & processes that are rigorously adhered to and that are used to evaluate research
Explain deductive reasoning?
Investigation that begins with a general idea to formulate a theory and testable hypothesis (hypothesis tested by data)
Explain inductive reasoning
Starting with data collection and observations to build ideas and testable hypotheses to test with further observations
What is the dominant philosophy underlying quantitative scientific methods?
Positivism
What does positivism assume?
2 points
- That phenomena are measurable using the deductive principles of the scientific method
- Human behaviour can be observed & measured using principles of natural and physical sciences
Why is it important to consider the theoretical perspectives or paradigms associated with different branches of scientific inquiry?
2 points
- Because they create assumptions that research questions are based on
- provide frameworks for interpreting observations
provide a way of looking at the world
Scientific research aims for “objectivity” by limiting external influences that can affect what 2 principles?
Think epi class
- Validity
- Reliability
If a multicausal model of causation considers a variety of factors, why can it be problematic, particularly in regards to epidemiology?
Variables (or causal factors) may be drawn or left out based on social values of different stakeholders (researchers values particularly important). Example of this with HIV research and policy, where social factors such as homosexuality were objectively presented as a cause of disease.
What process involves investigators evaluating their perceptions of situations critically (and thus considering the contexts of their work)?
Reflective understanding
When was inductive inference formalized and by whom?
In the seventeenth century by Francis Bacon
What was Francis Bacons argument surrounding deductive logic?
That it could not be predictive without the results of inductive inference first
What 2 things did John Locke do?
- Popularised inductive methods
- Helped establish empiricism
Define Empiricism
When inductive reasoning was unable to provide methods for proving “cause and effect” what logic was popularized?
Probabalistic Inductive Logic
What logic generally explains how there is a high or low probability that X causes Y, rather than a universal law?
Probabilistic Inductive Logic
What did Karl Popper propose about scientific hypotheses and knowledge accumulation?
He proposed that scientific hypotheses can never be proven to be true, so we can only make testable hypothese that can attempt to be disproven by research. Thus, knowledge is accumulated by falsification.
Explain the hypothetico-deductive method?
Method of inquiry in which scientific progress is a matter of eliminating falsehoods (incorrect hypotheses) rather than establishing truth
What underlies the contemporary scientific method?
The hypothetico-deductive method
What is a criticism of the hypothetico-deductive method by Brown?
Hypothesis falsification is not a certain process because it depends on observations that may uknowingly be biased or involve error
How did positivists approach the criticisms of the hypothetico-deductive method? Explain, and give an example.
Via operationalism, which establishes that specific concepts are to be defined by the indicators used to measure them. I.e. Psychological health established via a depression and anxiety measurement scale.
