PSYC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Unit, Institute For Operations Research And The Management Sciences, Regression Analysis
Document Summary
Science is empirical and objective: empirical based on the systematic collection and analysis of data. Data information collected through formal observation and measurement: objective free from the personal bias of the scientist. Scientific method- the set of assumptions, rules, and procedures scientists use to conduct research. Replication most research is designed to repeat, extend, or modify previous research findings. Law- principal so general it applies to all situations: psychology has few laws weber"s law might be one example. Theory- an integrated set of principals that explains many but not all of the relationships in a given domain: piaget"s stage theory of cognitive development is one example. Generalization: good theories summarize many different outcomes. Parsimonious: good theories provide the simplest possible explanation: the more simple the explanation, the more likely it is to be right. Falsifiable: in good theories, the relationships among variables can be shown to be incorrect: a theory that isn"t testable does not advance us.
