Psych as a Science Flashcards
What is science in psychology?
What is studied and the method of research used.
Why is this a debate?
Because even though most British Universities list Psychology as a science, it isnt a universal view
Karl Popper (1935)
Suggested theories about the world should come 1st, then be used to generate hypotheses that can be falsified via observations and experiments.
Key terms
- Reductionism
- Holism
-Falsification
-Empiricism
-Hypothesis testing
-Credibility
1) Simplistic, only looks at one factor
> Scientific, can retest + modify one at a time until its accepted
2)Idea that human behav should be viewed as a whole intergrated experience, not as seperate parts
3) The capacity in which you can prove a theory false/correct
4) Idea that all learning comes from only from our senses, obtaining knowledge via direct evidence
5)Conducting research to test an operationalised prediction
6) Reliability & correctness of content, considers bias, objectivity & controls
What is meant by the term recognised paradigm?
A philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws and generalisations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated.
Using examples, explain how a ‘unified paradigm’ suggests that psychology IS and IS NOT a science.
IS - Psychologists have the same goals of explaining and predicting human behaviour
IS NOT - There is a lack of paradigm in explaining behaviour in different areas of psychology (e.g. Biological states aggression can come from evolution or an imbalance of hormones)
Which criteria does social psychology meet?
A recognised paradigm- with the social groups and the key assumptions of the approach
Empirical evidence- an example is Milgram
Replicable- Lab exps eg Milgrams
variations, 3 stages in Sherif, structured intervs
Validity- structured interviews>incr int V due to quantitative data so better c&e
What criteria does social psych NOT meet?
Behavs (obedience & prejudice)= not quantifiable, behavs too complex to test via scientific methods eg brain scanning/ structured interviews, so decr credibility
What criteria does cognitive psych meet?
Reductionist theories- MSM, WMM, Reconstructive mem- propose the mem stores/schemas determine our mem processing- scientific, FLASHBULB MEM AS ALT SO REDUCTIONIST THEORY
Reliability- Baddeley, S+H-G> Standardised proceds eg Baddeley 4 conds (SS,AS,SD,AD),5 trials
What criteria does cog psych NOT meet?
Case studies- HM,KC> Low G, unethical to repeat
» But triangulation so incr cred of cog psych
What criteria does bio psych meet?
BSTs eg Raine- scientific, incr int V, incr inter-rater R so better establish c&e
Lab exps- Raine> standardised proceds so incr R, incr V (ext)
> But decr int V bc can lead to DCs and ppts V’s, decr credibility
Reductionist- focuses heavily on nature to explain behav of aggr
What criteria does bio psych NOT meet?
Case studies- brain damaged patients
Psychodynamic
Twin studies- Brendgen acknowledges social factors affecting aggression in MZ & DZ twins
What criteria does LT meet?
Reliability- inter-rater/test-retest, standardised proceds eg W&R(1920)
Lab exp- Little Albert, high int V eg tested for predisposed fear resp in controlled envir so better establish c&e
Closest to a paradigm- most acknowledge envir factor then reflex/ stimulus response
Observations-Bandura- 2 researchers (incr inter-rater R)
But also subjective
What criteria does LT NOT meet?
Animal studies- animals have qualitative diffs between humans, decr credibility to study conditioning
Case study-decr G, subjective- LA showed ‘less emotion than other children his age’
What criteria does clinical psych meet?
Reliability- ICD & DSM used to diagnose, incr R
Rosenhan- standardised proceds
