features of science

• • Falsifiability
  • The possibility that a statement or hypothesis can be proved wrong 
  • Karl Popper
  •  Only way to prove a theory correct is to look for disproof and this is why we start with a null hypothesis and if this isn't true it means that alternative is 
  • freud looked at unconcious which lacks falsyfyability
• what is a paradigm shift?

  an important change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline
• Replicability 

  • the ability to repeat a method and achieve similar fidnings, either by the same researcher or by another.
  • (A way to demonstrate the validity/reliability of scientific evidence)
• Objective 

  When all possible biases from researcher are minimised so they don’t influence or distort the research process 

  It is important to carefully control conditions where research is conducted 
• Empirical methods

  Info is gained through direct observation or experiment 

  Rather Than from unfounded beliefs or reasoning

  This is important to ensure things are true
• Hypothesis testing

  • generate a testable prediction (hypothesis) hypothesis which you trial using appropriate methods 
  • if it doesn’t support you go back and modify the theory
  • if evidence supports hypothesis it allows psychologists to support and further build on a theory 
• theory construction

  • a theory is a collection of general principles that explain observations and help us understand and predict occurence of events. - offering testable hypothesis that can be rigorously tested
  • Theory construction takes place through gathering evidence from direct observation during investigations 
  • theories can take place before hypothesis testing (deductive approach) or after hypothesis testing (inductive approach)
• inductive model

  1. observation of phenomena in the world
  2. scientists develop hypothesis
  3. test hypothesis empirically
  4. lead to new questions and new hypothesis
  5. data used to construct a theory
  6. process is repeat to refine knowledge
• explain how paradigm shifts contribute to scientific understanding

  a dominant paradigm is challenged by accumalating disconfirming evidence until it can no longer be maintained and then it is overthrown and new scientific knowledge arises

  examples

  • early psychologists focuscausual explanation, argued behaviour was caused byexternal or internal influences. 1960s shifted to free will role in behaviour and a shift back to determinist thinking with focus on biological and cognitive processes
  • some though world was flat which was disconfirmed - new paradigm the world is round
• what is a paradigm

  • a set of shared beliefs about how behaviour is explained
• describe the importance of replicability in scientific research


  the scientiifc method ivolves forumlating a hypothesis and testing it with empirical methods. Research findings are very important within this process, and if we want to be able to draw conclusions from the research the study must be repeatable as unrepeatable research implies lack of control or flaws in the methods and therefore has limited use for theory construction