PSYC 2030 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Empirical Research, Scientific Method, Psychological Testing
15 Dec 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Empirical method a procedure for obtaining information on the basis of observation. Scientific method- a procedure for requiring and testin knowledge through systematic observation or experimentation (ex. In scientific methods there is a: a commitment to producing knowledge through observation, and experiments, a commitment basing knowledge on empirical evidence, a commitment to discovering truth, a commitment to ensuring that findings are correctly interpreted. However, scientific method is not base its knowledge on common sense and opinions. Theory serves two important purpose: first, it should be capable of accounting for multiple facts, second, it should allow researchers to generate predictions about what will happen in novel situations. The purpose of most psychological research is to test these predictions using scientific methods: these predictions are represented as hypotheses. Falsification/refutation- a process to determine when a theory is contradicted its manners. Five main principles that suggest psychological research should be: reliable.
