scientific method

Question 1

what is scientific method?

Answer 1

acquiring or testing knowledge through systematic observation (empirical method) or experiments

Question 2

what is the empirical method?

Answer 2

obtaining information on the basis of observation

Question 3

what is the definition of a theory?

Answer 3

set of explanatory principles to make sense of a range of empirical findings

Question 4

what are the 2 things that theories do?

Answer 4

1. help gather and account for multiple facts

2. enable predictions to be made (hypotheses)

Question 5

what is an hypotheses?

Answer 5

statement of a cause effect relationship between variables

Question 6

what is induction?

Answer 6

drawing conclusions and developing theories based on accumulated observations

Question 7

what are the 5 principles of good research?

Answer 7

reliability
validity
parsimoney
cumulative
public

Question 8

what is reliability?

Answer 8

having the confidence that research findings will be replicated every time and not be a ‘fluke’

Question 9

what is validity?

Answer 9

having the confidence that the findings shows what it is interpreted to show

Question 10

what is parsimony?

Answer 10

theories that use the smallest amount of principles to explain the largest number of facts

Question 11

what does cumulative mean?

Answer 11

using previous research to guide the content and method of future research

Question 12

what does public mean?

Answer 12

opening your research and findings up for public scrutiny to check the validity and reliability of it

Question 13

7 principles of science?

Answer 13

determinism
systematic observations
public knowledge
data-based conclusions
tentative conclusions
asks empirical questions
falsifiable

Question 14

what is determinism?

Answer 14

the belief that all events have causes

Question 15

what is probabilistic determinism?

Answer 15

the probability of a certain outcome

not 100% relationship between cause and effect

Question 16

does free will mean rejecting the idea of determinism?

Answer 16

no, as it is argued you have to know the cause and effect of a decision to make the decision

Question 17

what are systematic observations?

Answer 17

variables and method of observing them are clearly defined to allow for exact replication and inter-rater reliability

Question 18

what does public knowledge entail?

Answer 18

research should be verifiable by more than 2 observers and procedures should be replicated

Question 19

what are tentative conclusions?

Answer 19

conclusions that provide support but not proof for a theory

Question 20

what does falsifiable mean?

Answer 20

hypotheses should be open and able to be proved wrong

Question 21

what can theories do?

Answer 21

account for multiple facts
generate predictions about what might happen in novel situations
explain and describe phenomenon

Question 22

what is deduction?

Answer 22

developing a hypothesis from a theory

Question 23

how to support the validity of a theory?

what does it mean if results are consistent with the hypothesis?

what does it mean if results aren’t consistent with the hypothesis?

Answer 23

deduce hypotheses from the theory
design a study to test the hypothesis
collect and analyse the data from the study
determine if the data is consistent with the hypothesis

YES? theory is given inductive support. deduce more hypotheses to test the theory further

NO?theory is not supported but doesn’t mean it has been disproven (could be methodological flaws or flaws in the hypothesis). test again and if repeatedly inconsistent, revise/abandon the theory

Question 24

connection between theories and facts

Answer 24

theory never becomes fact

theory serves to explain facts

Question 25

what are 4 other ways of developing research other than theories?

Answer 25

1. through observation
2. serendipity (in the right place to notice something)
3. everyday problems needing a solution
4. replication and extension of existing research e.g extend findings to another group

Question 26

what is a circular argument?

Answer 26

an argument in which the thing to be explained is presented as the explanation (memory explained by memory ability)