PSYCH 2GG3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1.3: Scientific Method
Chapter 1.3 – the scientific method
purposes of theories:
- theories provide a basis for judging the accuracy and usefulness of beliefs
- their most important functions =
o to simplify and organize observations and provide a basis for making predictions
- they suggest which facts are most important as well as which relationships among these
facts are most meaningful
characteristics of good theories:
1. should summarize and organize important facts (observations)
a. should reflect them accurately
2. should be clear and understandable
3. should simplify:
a. should impose order where there might otherwise be complexity and chaos
b. they should be parsimonious: the simplest and shortest statement that adequately
covers the facts
c. aka “Occam’s razor” →
i. holds that where there are two competing theories that each explain /
summarize a set of observations, the least complex is better
4. a theory should be useful for predicting as well as for explaining
5. should have some usefulness in terms of application in the real world
6. should be internally consistent rather than contradictory
7. should not be based on a large number of assumptions
a. theories based on assumptions are difficult to navigate
8. should be thought-provoking as well as provide satisfying explanations
science and psychological theories:
- common sense does not always make sense
o many beliefs about human behaviour based on common sense are wrong
- to determine which beliefs about human behavior make sense, psychologists rely on
science
what is science?
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
