PSY 250 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Research Question, Data Analysis, Public Knowledge
Document Summary
Science- general approach to understanding the natural world. Psychology is considered a science because it takes the same general approach to understanding one aspect of the natural world: human behavior. Systematic empiricism- learning based on observation through careful planning, making, recording, and analyzing observations. Empirical questions- questions about how the world actually is, and therefore can be answered systematically through observation. Pseudoscience- activities and beliefs that are claimed to be scientific by their proponents, and while initially appear to be of a scientific standing, and are not. A set of beliefs can be said to be pseudoscientific if they claim to be or imply that they are scientific but lack one or more three features of science. Describe a general model of scientific research in psychology and give specific examples that fit the model. Explain who conducts scientific research in psychology and why they do it. A generic model for scientific research can follow.
