Features of Science

• Theory construction


  create theories through the collection of evidence to explain certain behaviours or events
• Hypothesis testing


  test hypotheses through research studies to see if it's supported or refuted by evidence
• Empiricism


  knowledge gained from direct experience in a controlled, objective, systematic manner to gain quantitative data
• Paradigm (shift)


  shared set of assumptions + methods within a discipline

  psychology doesn't have one paradigm but had many paradigm shifts (different approaches) over the years
• Replicability


  ability to get consistent results each time research is conducted
• Observable


  only interested in what we can directly see/observe, rather than internal unobservable processes
• Objectivity


  free of personal opinions, subjectivity and bias
• Falsifiability


  idea that research could be proved wrong as nothing can ever be 'proven' correct
• Scientific Approaches


  behaviourism -> observable behaviour

  biological -> brain, genes

  SLT

  cognitive
• Unscientific Approaches


  introspection -> subjective

  psychodynamic -> unobservable - no empirical evidence

  humanistic -> centred on an individual