features of science

• Why do we write introductions in psychology?

  • Gives a rationale for the investigation with the aim and hypotheses, providing a justification for how they were derived.
  • Provides background info abt theories/studies relevant to the investigation
• What is empiricism?

  Knowledge derived from sensory experience. Info gained through direct observation rather than unfounded beliefs
• What is objectivity?

  Dealing with factors in a way unaffected by feelings, opinions or expectations
• What is replicability?

  • when two different scientists conduct the same experiments at different points in time and produce the same results/data.
  • If this is the case then the experiment is said to be replicable and valid
• What is a theory?

  Explanation for describing a phenomenon.
• Why is theory construction important?

  • Theories tested by empirical methods
  • Refined in the light of evidence
  • Enables predictions which can be translated into hypotheses and tested empirically
• What is a paradigm shift?

  A dominant view shifts from one to another
• What is falsifiability?

  it’s not possible to confirm a theory but disconfirm it instead. Must be able to prove a hypothesis wrong because a good theory must produce a variety of testable hypotheses
• What is hypothesis testing?

  • general testable expectations are constructed.
  • If these predictions are found correct the theory is supported, if not it requires modification
• What is a paradigm?

  
  

  Shared set of assumptions about a subject of a discipline and the methods appropriate to its study.
• What are Thomas Kuhn’s two main phases in science?

  • NORMAL SCIENCE- one theory remains dominant despite occasional challenges from disconfirming studies
  • REVOLUTIONARY SHIFT- gradually disconfirming evidence accumulates until theory can’t be maintained, and is therefore overthrown
• what is a paradigm shift?

  where a dominant view is overthrown and dominance shifts from one theory to another
• Why do we write introductions in psychology?

  • Gives a rationale for the investigation with the aim and hypotheses , providing a justification for how they were derived.
  • Provides background info abt theories/studies relevant to the investigation
• How do your reference a book?

  • Authors surnames(s) initials(s),
  • ed or eds for editor or editors
  • year of publication in brackets
  • title of book (italics)
  • place of publication/publisher
• what is a hypothesis?

  testable statement about the assumed relationship between variables
• what is involved in an abstract?

  • summary of the study
  • aims
  • hypotheses
  • method
  • results
  • conclusions
  • quick overview of the study and its results
• what is involved in the method of a report?

  • design
  • participants
  • apparatus/materials
  • procedures, standardised instructions
  • ethics
  • provides enough information for replication of the study
• what is involved in the results of a report?

  • descriptive stats- measures of central tendencies and dispersion, tables, graphs
  • inferential stats- statistical tests, calculated values and levels of significance
  • qualitative research- categories and themes described along with examples of those categories
• what is involved in the discussion of a report?

  • interpretation of a study's results
  • summary of results
  • relationship to previous research
  • consideration of methodology
  • implications for psychological theory and real-world applications
  • suggestions for future research
• what is involved in the references of a report?

  • name of author, date, title, of book, place of publication, publisher (for book)
  • name, date, title of article, journal title, volume (issue number), page numbers (for journal articles)
• what is the order of a scientific report?

  • abstract
  • introduction
  • method
  • results/conclusions
  • discussion
  • references
• what is meant by a meta-analysis?

  research method in which a researcher statistically analyses the findings of a number of different studies on a particular area, which are then collated together, to identify an overall effect which is then investigated using statistical testing to arrive at an overall conclusion