Features of Science

• Empirical evidence refers to data being collected through direct observation or experimental methods.
• Objectivity means that all sources of bias are minimised and that personal or subjective ideas are eliminated.
• Psychological research aims to be objective.
• The purpose of empirical evidence in scientific research is to provide objective and verifiable data that supports or refutes a hypothesis or theory.
• The key features of a scientific method in Psychology include formulating a research question, conducting empirical research, analysing data, and drawing conclusions based on evidence.
• Objectivity in scientific research refers to the unbiased and impartial approach taken by researchers to gather and interpret data, free from personal opinions or biases.
• Subjective data in psychological research refers to information that is based on personal opinions, beliefs, or experiences.
• Objective data refers to information that is observable, measurable, and independent of personal bias.
• A science must have reliable methods which can be replicated.
• A science aims to produce objective results by having control over variables and using standardised procedures.
• The scientific process is now based on the hypothetico-deductive model proposed by Karl Popper (1935).
• Popper (1935) suggested that theories/ laws about the world should come first, and these should be used to generate hypotheses which can be falsified by observations and experiment.
• We cannot prove whether a theory or hypothesis is true, we can only prove that it is false; a process called falsification.
• Many theories in Psychology cannot be falsified, such as those described by Freud in the psychodynamic approach.
• Cognitive Psychology adopts a scientific approach to unobservable mental processes by advancing precise models and conducting experiments upon behaviour to confirm or refute them.
• Behaviourists firmly believed in the scientific principles of determinism, and using lab experiments came up with fairly consistent predictions.
• The humanistic approach deliberately steps away from a scientific viewpoint, rejecting determinism in favour of free will.
• Psychology is believed to be a science as it follows the cyclic method that all sciences follow.
• In science, theories and ideas allow hypotheses to be formulated, and when tested using experimental methods, give empirical evidence which makes conclusions.
• In order to be a true science according to Thomas Kuhn you have to have one set of shared beliefs, known as a paradigm.
• A paradigm is a set of shared values, beliefs or expectations.
• The scientific method starts with a theory/ idea. A hypothesis is then formulated in order to test this idea. Once this is decided an experiment is used to test the prediction under controlled conditions. When the results are found, a conclusion is written and evaluated.
• According to Thomas Kuhn, the main requirement for a field to be considered a true science is the presence of a shared paradigm or set of accepted theories and methods within the scientific community.
• A paradigm in the context of science refers to a framework or model that guides scientific research and understanding within a particular field.
• The research methods and scientific processes used in Psychology include experiments, surveys, observations, case studies, and statistical analysis.
• The hypothetico-deductive model (or method) has been proposed as a description of scientific method.
• In the hypothetico-deductive model scientific inquiry and research proceeds by means by formulating hypotheses that can be either proved or disproved through experimentation and observation.
• The hypothetico-deductive model is a framework in the scientific method where scientists propose hypotheses, make predictions based on those hypotheses, and then test those predictions through experimentation or observation.
• Induction is making generalisations from facts, usually based on observations following experimental research.
• Deduction is drawing conclusions from specific facts but sometimes this can lead to false statements/ conclusions (which may not be entirely true). For example, we could say ‘flowers are red’ and ‘tulips are flowers’ so deduction would say ‘all tulips are red’.
• Most traditional sciences have one key paradigm that all researchers support, however in Psychology, we have several paradigms. These are known as key approaches.
• Deduction involves deriving specific conclusions from general principles, while induction involves deriving general principles from specific observations.
• Thomas Kuhn (1962) believed that paradigms are shared assumptions, methods and key terms.