WEEK 9 - Scientific Reasoning Flashcards
what are theories ?
these are the hypotheses, laws and facts about the empirical world
what is data ?
the information that is gathered from observations or experiments. We use data to test our theories. They might also inspire new directions in research
what are the four steps of the hypothetical-deductive method ?
- Identify the hypothesis to be tested.
- Generate predictions from the hypothesis.
- Use experiments to check whether predictions are correct.
- If the predictions are correct, then the hypothesis is confirmed. If not, then the hypothesis is disconfirmed.
what is scientific reasoning ?
the reasoning used to explain, predict, and control empirical phenomena in a rational manner
what three things are related in regards to scientific reasoning ?
- Design experiments
- Test hypotheses
- Interpret data
what is the applicability of scientific reasoning ?
- Scientific reasoning is used by scientists
- But many principles of scientific reasoning are used in everyday life, too.
what does “the world” mean?
scientific reasoning aims to understand some aspect of the world around us
“A paleontologist might aim to understand whether some dinosaurs had feathers”
would be an example of what ?
the world
what are theories ?
are statements of laws, hypotheses, and other putative facts about the world
what des explanations and predictions mean ?
theories explain certain aspects of the world and make predictions
predictions are for what period of time ?
future
retroactions are for what period of time ?
retrodiction
what does data (evidence) mean ?
- is information gather from observations or experiments
- data is used to test existing theories or point outwards new theories
what does the HD method stand for?
the hypothetic-deductive method
what is the HD method ?
a very important scientific method of testing theories and hypotheses
what are the four steps of the HD method ?
STEP #1 - identify the hypothesis to be tested
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STEP #2 - generate predictions from hypothesis
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STEP #3 - use experiments to check whether the predictions are correct
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STEP #4 - if the predictions are correct, the hypothesis is confirmed. Otherwise, the hypothesis is disconfirmed.
what is step 1 of the HD method ?
identify the hypothesis to be tested
what is step 2 of the HD method ?
generate predictions from hypothesis
what is step 3 of the HD method ?
use experiments to check whether the predictions are correct
what is step 4 of the HD method ?
if the predictions are correct, the hypothesis is confirmed. Otherwise, the hypothesis is disconfirmed
suppose your battery-powered camera won’t turn on. You wonder whether the batteries are dead
is an example of applying what ?
the HD method
what is step one of the example : suppose your battery-powered camera won’t turn on. You wonder whether the batteries are dead
Hypothesis : the batteries are dead
what is step 2 of the example : suppose your battery-powered camera won’t turn on. You wonder whether the batteries are dead
Prediction : if we change the batteries, the camera will work again
what is step 3 of the example : suppose your battery-powered camera won’t turn on. You wonder whether the batteries are dead
experiment : change the batteries
what is step 4 of the example : suppose your battery-powered camera won’t turn on. You wonder whether the batteries are dead
if the camera works, the hypothesis is confirmed. If it does not work, the hypothesis is disconfirmed
the HD method can only confirm or disconfirm hypotheses that are ______
capable of being tested
what is a confirmation ?
The HD method can confirm a hypothesis but cannot conclusively establish it
what is a disconfirmation ?
The HD method can disconfirm a hypothesis but cannot conclusively show that it is false
what are axillary assumptions ?
Hypothesis + Auxiliary Assumptions = Predictions
how many considerations of theory choice are there ?
6
what are the 6 considerations of theory choice?
- Consistency with the observations we are trying to explain
- Predicting power
- Mechanism
- Fruitfulness
- Simplicity
- Coherence
what does consistency with the observation we are trying to explain mean ?
which theories are consistent with out observations
what does predicting power mean ?
do the theories make many interesting predictions that are later confirmed
what does mechanism mean ?
- Do the theories reveal underlying causal mechanisms?
- This helps explain the relevant aspect of nature
- It also helps u make more predictions
what does fruitfulness mean ?
- do the theories make surprising or unexpected predictions, which are later confirmed?
- do they provide new explanations for other phenomena?
what does simplicity mean ?
- how simple are the theories?
- a simpler theory that has fewer assumptions and posits fewer entities than a more complex theory
what are two reasons to like simpler theories ?
- It’s easier to fit a more complex theory to the data in a contrived way, so a more complex theory is more likely to be false than a simpler theory that also fits the data
- you might assume the the world is relatively simple
what is Occam’s razor ?
if you have two theories that explain the same sata equally well, prefer the simplest
what are the two types of coherence ?
- internal consistency
- consistency with other knowledge
what is scientific research created by ?
biased and fallible human being s
when is an experiment replicated ?
when a different lah repeats it and gets the same results
what is peer review ?
Peer review is the process of reviewing scientific work by other scientists before it is published
is peer review good or bad ?
good, work that has been peer reviewed is more trustworthy than work that has not
when is scientific reasoning used ?
in science and every day life
what is an example of a common scientific method
the hypothetical-deductive method
