PSYC104 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Empiricism, Pseudoscience, Critical Thinking
11 May 2018
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PSYC104 Research Design Reading
Chapter 1 [What is Science? / The Scientific Enterprise]
1.2.1 Chapter Outline
- Using science to understand our world
- Science, authority, common sense, and pseudoscience
- Psychology is a science
- Basic versus applied research
- The importance of thinking critically
1.3 Using Science to Understand Our World
- Science: a way of knowing through observation and experimentation
- Faith: a way of knowing without proof or evidence
1.3.1 The Goals of Science
- Theories: sets of facts and relationships among facts that explain and predict natural
phenomena
- Theory building: the process of constructing, testing, and refining the answer to your
research question
- Hypotheses: a testable explanation of a natural phenomenon
- Testable: having the ability to be assessed for accuracy using currently available
technologies and ethical constraints
- In order to understand the natural world, scientists form theories about how natural
processes work
- Scientific theories are backed by extensive reports of observation, experimentation, and
testing
- The best theories generate new, unexpected predictions
- Observations of the natural world lead to the development of hypotheses
- A good hypothesis leads to testable predictions
1.3.2 Scientific Values: Empiricism
- Empiricism: gaining knowledge through direct observation
- Empiricism is a core value shared by all science
- Empiricism shapes modern science by demanding that we learn by observing for ourselves,
rather than accepting facts on the basis of hearsay or faith
1.3.3 Asking Empirical Questions
- Empiricism influences the types of questions psychological scientists ask
- Empirically influenced questions require answers based upon observation
1.3.4 Barriers to Empirical Thinking
- Humans are inherently biased in the sense that they adhere to various ideologies
- Scientific results that contradict deeply held personal beliefs may be threatening
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Document Summary
Science: a way of knowing through observation and experimentation. Faith: a way of knowing without proof or evidence. Theories: sets of facts and relationships among facts that explain and predict natural phenomena. Theory building: the process of constructing, testing, and refining the answer to your research question. Hypotheses: a testable explanation of a natural phenomenon. Testable: having the ability to be assessed for accuracy using currently available technologies and ethical constraints. In order to understand the natural world, scientists form theories about how natural processes work. Scientific theories are backed by extensive reports of observation, experimentation, and testing. Observations of the natural world lead to the development of hypotheses. A good hypothesis leads to testable predictions. Empiricism is a core value shared by all science. Empiricism shapes modern science by demanding that we learn by observing for ourselves, rather than accepting facts on the basis of hearsay or faith. Empiricism influences the types of questions psychological scientists ask.
