What Makes A Subject Scientific? Flashcards
What is a paradigm?
A worldview- accepted set of principles/theories
What assumptions do paradigms bring together?
1) what they are studying
2) how they will think about it
3) how they will study it
When does a paradigm shift occur?
When there is too much contradictory evidence to ignore e.g. there was a paradigm shift when we moved away from Newton’s law to Einstein’s in physics
What is a theory?
A theory explains observable behaviours and events, using a set of general principles
It can also be used to predict observations
What 2 roles do theories have?
1) theories give purpose and direction to research by organising facts and patterns into a set of general principles
2) theories therefore generate testable hypothesis which offer testable predictions of he facts organised by the theory
What is falsification?
The possibility of being proven false
Why do theories that survive the most attempts to falsify them become the strongest?
Not because they are definitely true but because they have not been proven false
What should the researcher imagine (falsification)?
Some occurrence that would contradict the theory
Is the contradiction tested for (falsification)?
Yes
What happens if no evidence to the contradiction is found?
Then this suggests that the theory may be correct
What does hypothesis testing allow researchers to do?
Refute or support theory
How is hypothesis testing done?
In a controlled and organised way- altering one variable at a time
What does the degree of support for a hypothesis determine?
Determines the degree of confidence in a theory
Why does empirical methods use?
Careful observations and experiments to gather facts and evidence
Why are variables highly controlled and objectively measured?
So that cause and effect relationships can be established
What do empirical methods use so that replication is possible?
Standardised procedures
What does replication mean?
Repeating the experiment by using the same method to see if the same results can be achieved
Why is replication an essential feature of science?
Because replication increases confidence in results and a theory is strengthened through repeated attempts at falsification
What happens if a dramatic discovery is reported but cannot be replicated by other scientists?
It will not be accepted
What happens if we get the same results over and over again and under the ame conditions?
We can be sure of their accuracy beyond reasonable doubt
What is generalisation?
Applying results from a sample to a wider population and other situations
When should generalisation be possible?
If a researcher has used a representative sampling technique,
Has a sample that is large enough in proportion to the population
Findings are objective
An appropriate research method has been used to gather data
