Psychology As A Science

Question 1

FRENCH

Answer 1

• Falsification
• Reductionism/Replicability/Reliability
• Empiricism/Empirical Methods
• Nomothetic Approach
• Controls
• Hypothetico-deductive Model/Hypothesis Testing

Question 2

Falsification

Answer 2

• Being able to falsify a hypothesis - find evidence which refutes the hypothesis
• To falsify a hypothesis, it must first be possible to test it objectively
• Makes the study/theory more scientific

Question 3

Reductionism

Answer 3

• Involves isolating a single variable to study this thoroughly
• Makes the study/theory more scientific

Question 4

Replicability/Reliability

Answer 4

• Whether a study can be replicated to check for consistency and reliability
• Use the same procedure (timing, instructions) with each participant to ensure they have all been tested the same way
• Makes the study/theory more scientific

Question 5

Empiricism/Empirical Methods

Answer 5

• Refers to testing an idea and getting direct evidence for it
• Science produces empirical data (quantitative), which can be statistically analysed
• Collection of data first-hand through observation or experiment
• Ensures that the research is valid and researchers can be confident that the process was controlled and standardised -> objective data collected
• Makes study/theory more scientific

Question 6

Nomothetic Approach

Answer 6

• Establishing general laws that apply to all people (and sometimes animals) -> Classical Conditioning
• These general laws would help to predict behaviour
• Makes study/theory more scientific
• Idiographic approach is not scientific -> based on one person or a small group of people, cannot establish general laws

Question 7

Controls

Answer 7

• Put in place to ensure that only the IV is affecting the DV and not other confounding variables
  -> able to make cause and effect statements
• Removal of bias
• Makes study/theory more scientific

Question 8

Hypothetico-deductive Model/Hypothesis Testing

Answer 8

• Refers to the systematic cycle of testing a theory and amending it
• Ensures the researchers reflect on the data collected and determine whether the data supports or refutes their hypothesis
• Any flaws can be addressed and improved before testing again

Question 9

IS a Science: Sherif

Answer 9

• Carefully matched the 2 groups of boys (intelligence, religious backgrounds etc.), controlled participant variables = increasing the internal validity
• Used several empirical methods (observations, sociometric techniques, experiments) to collect quantitative data, check concurrent validity of findings, increase the scientific status of the study
• Through the creation of an isolated setting for the boys and manipulation of the social environment, he was able to control the variables influencing the boys’ behaviour and draw causal inferences

Question 10

IS NOT a Science: Sherif

Answer 10

• Collection of qualitative data (observation of the boys’ behaviour = open to biased interpretations, less objective)
• Field experiment, no fully standardised procedure (cannot be replicated) - situational variables (noise, weather) may have influenced the boy’s mood and behaviour, cannot check consistency of findings = low reliability
• The study’s limited ecological validity has been questioned - created a naturalistic setting but the controlled nature of the study with the artificial manipulation of group dynamics = concerns about how the findings might translate to real-world situations

Question 11

IS a Science: Baddeley

Answer 11

• Used a hypothetico-deductive method, reflected upon problems with his initial
  procedure and returned to the testing cycle once he had amended his mistakes (did this twice) leading to a third and final experiment being carried out where
  improvements were made to the way in which words were presented (slideshow) and the use of an interference task
• Use of controls - the words were all one syllable, used with the same frequency in everyday language = higher internal validity
• Standardised procedure - same timings were used when the words were presented (rate of 1 every 3 secs),replicable, check reliability

Question 12

IS NOT a Science: Baddeley

Answer 12

• Investigated memory - internal, cognitive process, requires inferences to
  be made about how participants are processing information, could not
  directly measure memory, less objective
• Study deals with memory ability which is inherently variable and influenced by a wide
  range of factors such as individual differences and cultural context
• Unlike hard sciences, where controlled conditions produce consistent results, psychological findings are sometimes less predictable

Question 13

IS a Science: Raine

Answer 13

• Had a control group that - matched with the NGRIs to allow comparisons to be made in brain activity = more scientific
• Participants were asked to stop taking medication two weeks before brain scan as a control, stop this from affecting the level of functioning in their brains, increasing the scientific credibility
• Used PET scans to measure aggression which produces objective, quantifiable data about brain functioning, use of empirical data increases the scientific credibility
• Used a standardised procedure for all the NGRIs and the controls (each had to complete a continuous performance task), allowed procedure to be replicated with all participants, check for consistency in his findings, increases reliability

Question 14

IS NOT a Science: Raine

Answer 14

• Hypothetico-deductive method: data collected is correlational, unable to deliberately manipulate participants’ brain function to establish causation, cannot determine cause and effect, less scientific
• Data was obtained by studying 41 NGRIs (mostly male), findings may have limited
  generalisability, difficult to establish general laws for aggressive behaviour, challenging a nomothetic approach to studying human behaviour, less scientific
• Reductionism: unable to effectively isolate the role of brain functioning as a cause for aggression (behaviour may have been affected by other variables - childhood experiences, exposure to aggressive role models) lowers scientific credibility

Question 15

IS a Science: Watson and Raynor

Answer 15

• Always used the same apparatus and conducted the testing in the same, quiet
  room, possible to replicate on several occasions, can check results for consistency
  • Brought Little Albert back a few weeks later to check if his reactions were still the same, increased the reliability of their findings, boosted the scientific status of the study
• Little Albert had no prior learning due to his age that could have influenced the fear response to rats (acted as a control), meant the study had high internal validity, increased scientific status
• They were classical conditioning and the development of phobias; classical conditioning is a general law, can be applied to how all humans learn which is nomothetic, increases the scientific status

Question 16

IS NOT a Science: Watson and Raynor

Answer 16

• Data collected was primarily qualitative and based upon their observations of
  Albert’s response to the objects/situation, subject to interpretation by W&R, criticised for being subjective (their interpretation of Little Albert’s fear), lowers the scientific status
• Only tested Little Albert, generalisability may be limited - he was believed to have had neurological issues (responses may not have been typical of all babies), findings may not be used to create general laws about how phobias develop, challenging a nomothetic approach and reducing the scientific credibility

-Despite Watson & Rayner’s procedure having high levels of control in the artificial setting of the small room, making it scientific, this would limit the application of their findings to explaining how phobias are developed in real life settings

Question 17

IS a Science: Rosenhan

Question 18

IS NOT a Science: Rosenhan