PSY 105 Chapter 2: Psychology as a Science
18 Nov 2015
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Learning objective: list two core beliefs of a science, and describe the steps in the scientific method. Two core beliefs of science: the universe operates according to certain natural laws. Scientists believe that things happen around us in some kind of orderly fashion that can be described using rules or laws. For example, the natural law of cause and effect suggests that when something is set in motion, it has an effect on other things. Psychologists look for the laws that describe mental processes and behaviour: such laws are discoverable and testable. We can figure out the laws governing those events by carefully observing what happens in the natural world. In turn, we can use these laws to make predictions about what might happen, and we can then experiment to see whether those predictions come true. The scientific method relies on a process of logical reasoning derived from philosophy: sir francis bacon:
