What is Science? Flashcards
What is an Aim?
The reason/purpose for carrying out the experiment
What is a Hypothesis?
A prediction about what the experimenter expects to happen in the experiment
What is the scientific process used for?
To gain empirical evidence to test cause and effect relationships
What is the scientific process also known as?
Scientific method/ Experimental Method
What are the 5 key parts of the scientific process
1) Aims
2) Hypothesis
3) Method
4) Results
5) Conclusion
What is the IV?
The thing we change or manipulate
What is the DV?
The thing we measure
What is the Level of the IV?
The number of different versions of the IV there are in an experiment. We need different levels of the IV to test a cause and effect relationship
What does operationalising variables mean?
Defining exactly how the variable is going to be measured
What is the Method in the scientific process?
The exact procedure the researcher followed during the experiment
What are the Results in the scientific process?
These are the changes observed during the experiment - what happened to the DV e.g. collected through a results table
What is the Conclusion in the scientific process?
The interpretation of the results/ findings which may or may not match the hypothesis
What are the key features of science?
1) Hypothesis Testing
2) Empirical Evidence
3) Falsifiability
4) Replicability
5) Control
6) Objectivity
What is Hypothesis testing?
Using the scientific process to test our hypothesis. If hypothesis testing leads to a result that doesn’t support the hypothesis then the researcher needs to ADJUST their hypothesis. We test the hypothesis by collecting empirical evidence
What is Empirical evidence?
Information that is collected through DIRECT OBSERVATIONS
What is Falsifiability?
A hypothesis must be falsifiable to be SCIENTIFIC. A hypothesis is falsifiable if it is POSSIBLE for it to be TESTED and PROVEN FALSE or contradicted by the empirical evidence
What is Replicability?
The ability for an experiment to be REPEATED to see if it produces the same results - RE-TESTING the hypothesis. If the results are the same then the results REPLICATED. Scientists must carefully detail the exact method, variables etc. to allow others to replicate it.
What is Control as a feature of science?
Science involves comparing the results from the experimental group to a CONTROL GROUP as well CONTROLLING EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES
What is a Control group and why is it important?
A level of the IV that is not manipulated my the researcher - they are treated normally. The experimental group is a level of the IV that is manipulated. A control is needed to make a comparison between the two groups to be sure that the change in the DV is the result of the difference in the IV
What in an Extraneous variable?
Something other than the IV that has an effect on the DV but is not the variable that we are trying to test/study. When researchers stop extraneous variables from affecting the DV they have CONTROLLED THE EV’S.
What is a Confounding variable?
It is a special type of EV that influences BOTH the IV and the DV. It is an extraneous variable (affects the DV) that VARIES according the LEVEL OF THE IV. So the confounding variables effect on the DV is indistinguishable (identical) from the IV’s effect on the DV - therefore we can’t tell what is really causing the effect on the DV
Why do we need to control extraneous and confounding variables?
To ensure that IT IS what the researcher is manipulating (the chosen IV) that is affecting the dependent variable.
What is Objectivity?
When researchers have NO PERSONAL BIAS towards their experiment and its results. Researchers, often at the outset, know what results they want - they have a PERSONAL PREFERENENCE - if they let this bias affect the experiment they are not being objective.
How can the researcher ensure their method is objective and therefore scientific?
Must use methods where their personal bias cannot interfere e.g. using ruler to measure plant growth rather than judgement and opinion
How can personal preference still affect an experiment?
Researcher may subconsciously affected by their bias which may affect how they conduct the experiment e.g. being nicer to experimental group.
What is Validity?
When a test (method of measurement) measures what it claims to measure
What causes a test/study to LACK VALIDITY?
If the the method of measurement in the study does not measure what it claims to be measuring OR if confounding or extraneous variables affect the measurement (DV) which means we cant be sure it is definitely what we are manipulating (the IV) that is affecting our DV.
How can a researcher assess the validity of their study or method of measurement/psychological test?
Assess the FACE VALIDITY of the test by looking at it at face value, using common sense to see if it does appear to measure what it claims to be measuring OR can look at CONCURRENT VALIDITY where the researcher compares the results obtained from their own test to a previous test of the same behaviour that is known to be valid. If the results are the same as results from valid study = concurrent validity
What is the problem with assessing face validity?
It is hard to tell if a test is really valid by looking at face validity because appearance can be deceiving i.e. somethings that don’t appear to be related to one another actually are e.g. sleep patterns and depression
What is Reliability?
When a study is repeated/ replicated and the results REPLICATE multiple times. When the results are CONSISTENT with each other we say the results are RELIABLE and therefore the study is reliable
What can cause a study to LACK RELIABILITY?
If extraneous or confounding variables affect the DV this will produce different results/measurements every time the study is repeated OR if the method of measurement e.g. a questionnaire is unreliable itself e.g. its confusing and open to interpretation which may cause participants for example, who are equally depressed to given different answers on a questionnaire
