PSY 4130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Logical Positivism, Clark L. Hull, Empirical Relationship

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 4130
• Professor: Danielle Impey

Document Summary

Belief science should study events/objects that can be experienced directly. All speculation about abstract entities/theoretical speculation avoided. Provided solution for problem of finding way for science to use theory without encountering dangers inherent in metaphysical speculation. Divided science into empirical (observational) and theoretical (explain empirical observations) Theoretical concepts admissible if they are tied to observable world thru operational definitions. Definition that relates an abstract concept to the procedures used to measure it. E. g. force and energy defined by operations of procedures followed in determining the force of energy present. Convert theoretical terms like drive, learning, intelligence into empirical events, stripping them of metaphysical connotations. Belief all abstract scientific concepts should be operationally defined. E. g. a working memory operationally defined as # of corret responses in a n-b w/m task. All sciences should share common assumptions, principles ,methodologies and should model themselves after physics. Unification of common vocab, among sciences including psychology.