PSYC 218 Chapter 1: Statistics and Scientific Method
Document Summary
Learning objectives: describe the four methods of establishing truth, contrast observational and experimental research, contrast descriptive and inferential statistics, define the following terms: population, sample, variable, independent variable, dependent variable, constant, data, statistic, and parameter. There are four general methods of knowing and acquiring knowledge authority, rationalism, intuition, and the scientific method: Authority: considering something true because of tradition of because some person of authority sa(cid:455)s it is true. Rationalism: using reasoning alone to arrive at knowledge if the premises are sound and the reasoning is carried out correctly according to the rules of logic, then the conclusion will show us the truth. However, reason alone is inadequate when there are multiple logical sound explanations for something and reasoning alone is not enough to distinguish between the two of them. Joe is suffering from depression you know that some psychological problems cause depression; but so does a poor diet.
