Task 1: what is science? Flashcards
def: Basic research
aquire general information about a phenomenon
def: Applied research
generate information which can be applied directly to a real-world problem
def: confirmation bias
people tend to look for information which confirms their beliefs and ignore information that disproves them
What qualifies a good hypothesis ? ( name 4 )
- connected to prior research
- testable/observable/measurable/falsifiable
- positive statement
- as parsimonious (sparsam) as possible
Cialdini`s two step model of research
I. Identifying prey
=phenomenon you want to study
II. trapping
=identifying factors crucial to explaining phenomenon
def: Protoscience
at edge of current knowledge,
researching unconfirmed phenomenon ( e.g. computer science used to be)
def: Pseudoscience
Protoscience which cannot be verified
Synonym: false science
def: Non-Science
applies systematic techniques to acquisition of information, BUT lacks any testing to prove it (e.g. Philosophy)
criteria for a valid explanation (name 7)
- empirical = based on objective & systematic observations
- rational = under rules of logic
- testable
- parsimonious = if more explanations offered, one with fewest number of assumptions
- general = minimum number of circumstances
- tentative = possibility that explanation is faulty
- rigorously evaluated = hart bewertet
def: commonsense explanation
rather loose, based on own sense of world, find explanation with few information
e. g. ppl accuse police office to be a racist bc he shot a black boy
- > often not general enough to explain observed behavior
def: belief-based explanation
does not require evidence, if evidence is found which proves them incorrect they reinterpret evidence (religious)
def: pseudoexplanations
does not serve valid, scientific explanation even though it may sound scientific
e.g. aggression as an instinct -> not true
def: circular explanation/ tautology
observed behaviour is used to prove existence of aggression instinct -> concept of instinct is then used to explain behaviour
def: method of authority
expert sources (book or ppl) does not always provide valid answers bc ppl might know sth but still give expertises opinion -> not authoritative often include personal opinion
def: rational method
logical reasoning
e.g. I think, therefore I exist
def: scientific method (4 steps)
I. observing event + potential causes
II. formulating Hypothesis
III. further observation or experimenting
IV. refining and retesting explanations
def: refinement process
generating more specific hypothesis in scientific method research
must be tested just as first hypothesis
def: a theory
a plausible or scientifically acceptable, well substantiated explanation of some aspect of natural world
-not same as hypothesis ! ( which is relatively simple, less complex)
functions of a theory (name 4)
understanding theory
making predictions
organizing research design
generating new questions
def: confirmational strategy
used to test theories
= identifying implications (Konsequenzen), setting up situation, observing if predicted effects occur
BUT many alternative theories could potentially be constructed
def: disconfirmational strategy
to test theory
A is proved right, so B has to be false, but if B is true too theorie´s prediction is disconfirmed
def: Kuhn`s effect
most theories getting support even after disconfirming evidence has been found, simply because amount of effort went into it, people cling to the concept
def: mechanistic explanation
describes a mechanism: cause &effect or how does it work?
def: functional explanation
describes only what the system does ( its function), why does this attribute exist?
