PSYC 1101 Lecture 1: Research Methods- 16 september
14 Feb 2017
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Song of the day one thing leads to another - the fixx (causality and causation) I believe in observation, measurement, and reasoning, con rmed by independent observers. I ll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there is evidence for it. Dogmatism: the tendency to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others, empirical method. A set of rules and techniques for observation. Allows observers to avoid the illusions, mistakes, and erroneous conclusions that simple observations can produce: parsimony. Ockham"s razor: begin to explain phenomena using the simplest theory. Only complicate this theory if evidence demands it. A valuable principle but it doesn"t always gives the same answers. Uniquely dif cult due to our: complexity, variability, reactivity. The scienti c method: a rigorous and systematic method of scienti c study. Theory: a hypothetical account of how and why a phenomenon occurs.
