PSY 111 Lecture 4: Psy 111 - Lecture 4
Document Summary
Form hypothesis: tentative explanation or prediction about some phenomenon, gather clues and logically analyze them. Test hypothesis: conduct research, gather evidence. Analyze data: analyze information and draw tentative conclusions. Further research and theory building: theory: set of formal statements that explain how and why certain events are related to one another. New hypothesis derived from theory: theory used to develop new hypotheses, which are then tested by conducting additional research and gathering evidence, allows for self-correcting theories. Hindsight understanding arrive at explanations after-the-fact. Major limitation is due to various explanations for behaviour with no sure way to determine correct alternative. Understanding through prediction, control, and theory building. Theory development is strongest test of scientific understanding, because good theories generate an integrated network of predictions. Incorporates existing facts and observations within single broad framework. Testable, generating new hypotheses whose accuracy can be evaluated by gathering new evidence. Predictions supported by findings of new research.
