psych as a science

Question 1

What is science?

Answer 1

Science is both a body of evidence and the process of generating that evidence.

Question 2

What are the main branches of science?

Answer 2

1. Natural sciences (e.g., physics, chemistry, biology)
2. Social sciences (e.g., economics, sociology)
3. Formal sciences (e.g., mathematics, computer science)
4. Applied sciences (e.g., engineering, medicine)

Question 3

What type of science is psychology?

Answer 3

Psychology can be categorized into different branches:

• Biopsychology and neuroscience are natural sciences
• Social and community psychology are social sciences
• Computational and mathematical psychology are formal sciences
• Clinical and educational psychology are applied sciences

Question 4

What is the philosophy of science?

Answer 4

Philosophy of science concerns itself with what science is and how it should be done.

Question 5

What is logical positivism?

Answer 5

Logical positivism is a philosophical position that holds science should only be concerned with objectively observable phenomena

Question 6

What is induction in science?

Answer 6

Induction is the process of making generalizations based on repeated observations.

Question 7

What is a problem with induction?

Answer 7

Induction leads to conclusions that may not always be true, as it cannot account for every exception (e.g., assuming all students have statistics anxiety based on observing a few).

Question 8

What did David Hume argue about induction?

Answer 8

David Hume argued that induction is never justified because no matter how many times we observe something, it doesn’t increase the probability that the next observation will be the same.

Question 9

What did Karl Popper contribute to the philosophy of science?

Answer 9

Karl Popper argued that science should focus on falsification, or the ability to test a hypothesis in ways that can potentially prove it wrong.

Question 10

What is the hypothetico-deductive model?

Answer 10

The hypothetico-deductive model is a form of logical reasoning where hypotheses are tested and conclusions are drawn from deductive reasoning.

Question 11

What is an example of deduction?

Answer 11

Example: If it is true that all students have statistics anxiety, and Aisha is a student, then Aisha has statistics anxiety.

Question 12

What is falsification in research?

Answer 12

Falsification is the principle that a hypothesis must be testable and capable of being proven wrong through empirical research.

Question 13

What makes a theory falsifiable?

Answer 13

A theory is falsifiable if it makes specific, testable predictions that can potentially be proven wrong.

Question 14

Why are probabilistic theories common in psychology?

Answer 14

Because psychological theories often deal with averages or general tendencies, acknowledging that individual cases may not always follow the predicted pattern.

Question 15

What is the difference between probabilistic and deterministic theories?

Answer 15

Probabilistic theories make claims about what happens on average, whereas deterministic theories claim that something happens every time without exception.

Question 16

What is the distinction between quantitative and qualitative research?

Answer 16

Quantitative research focuses on numbers and statistical analysis, while qualitative research focuses on understanding experiences and meanings through words and narratives.

Question 17

What assumptions are made in ontological and epistemological considerations in research?

Answer 17

Ontology deals with what is real, while epistemology deals with what can be known and how knowledge is obtained.

Question 18

What is ontology in research?

Answer 18

Ontology is the study of theories about the nature of reality and being.

Question 19

What is epistemology in research?

Answer 19

Epistemology is the study of how knowledge is acquired, evaluated, and structured.

Question 20

What is the ontological continuum?

Answer 20

The ontological continuum includes Realism, Critical Realism, and Relativism, which represent different views on whether reality exists independently of human experience and to what extent it can be known.

Question 21

Why do ontology and epistemology matter in research?

Answer 21

They inform the type of research you conduct, the methods you use, and how you interpret the results.

Question 22

What is the epistemological continuum?

Answer 22

The epistemological continuum includes Positivism, Post-Positivism, Interpretivism, and Social Constructionism, each representing different views on the nature and accessibility of knowledge.

Question 23

How do ontology and epistemology influence quantitative vs. qualitative research?

Answer 23

Quantitative research tends to be aligned with realist and positivist perspectives, aiming for objective truths, while qualitative research is often associated with relativist or interpretivist views, focusing on subjective understanding.

Question 24

What is pragmatism in research?

Answer 24

Pragmatism is a research philosophy that suggests using the best tools for the job, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods depending on the research question.

Question 25

What is a research question in science?

Answer 25

A research question specifies the topic of study in an empirically testable way, and it typically aims to describe, explain, predict, or control a phenomenon.

Question 26

What is the main aim of qualitative research?

Answer 26

Qualitative research aims to understand the world from the perspective of individuals or within social contexts, focusing on rich, subjective data.

Question 27

What methods are used in qualitative research?

Answer 27

Qualitative methods include interviews, focus groups, ethnography, and creative methods, which generate text-based, personal accounts.

Question 28

What methods are used in quantitative research?

Answer 28

Quantitative research uses methods like experiments and surveys to gather numerical data and make generalizable inferences.

Question 29

What are examples of qualitative research questions about statistics anxiety?

Answer 29

• How do students in different academic fields understand statistics anxiety?
• How do students experience statistics anxiety?
• What impact does statistics anxiety have on students?

Question 30

What are examples of quantitative research questions about statistics anxiety?

Answer 30

• What proportion of students experience high levels of statistics anxiety?
• Does statistics anxiety correlate with student grades?
• Through what mechanisms does statistics anxiety affect academic performance?

Question 31

How do quantitative and qualitative research approaches differ?

Answer 31

Quantitative research is focused on explanation and prediction using objective measures, while qualitative research focuses on description and understanding through subjective, rich data.

Question 32

What are the key steps in the quantitative research process?

Answer 32

1. Generate a research question
2. Develop a hypothesis
3. Design a study
4. Obtain ethics approval
5. Collect data
6. Analyze data
7. Report results

Question 33

What are the key steps in the qualitative research process?

Answer 33

1. Generate a research question
2. Design a study
3. Obtain ethics approval
4. Collect data
5. Analyze data
6. Develop a hypothesis
7. Report results

Question 34

What is the main difference in how theory is treated in quantitative vs. qualitative research?

Answer 34

In quantitative research, theory comes before analysis, while in qualitative research, theory comes after data analysis.

Question 35

What are the main differences between quantitative and qualitative research in terms of research goals?

Answer 35

Quantitative research aims to explain and predict, while qualitative research aims to describe and understand phenomena.

Question 36

How do quantitative and qualitative research differ in terms of researcher position?

Answer 36

In quantitative research, the researcher is objective, while in qualitative research, the researcher is subjective, seeking to understand individual perspectives.