features of science

• objectivity- observations are made from a neutral perspective without bias, rather than the scientist's subjective viewpoint,
• replicability- scientific procedures and experiments can be repeated to double check validity
• falsifibility- when a theory or hypothesis is tested there must be some possible observation that can prove it false
• empiricism- the idea that factual knowledge can only come from our experience in the world, this means that ideas supported by only speculation, logical argument, belief, accepted wisdom or direct from theory are not empirical.
• the empirical method- acquiring data through direct observation eg of pps, this includes observation but also experimentation, self-report, case studies and content analysis.
• how to improve objectivity- systematic data collection- data gathering is carefully planned out and consistent for every participant, the data collection measures like questionnaire questions or experimental procedures should be carefully designed, or the researcher should use established questions or tests, double blind- where both researcher and pp do not know of the aims of the experiment,
• improving objectivity- double blind- using another researcher to collect data who does not know the aims of the said research,
• peer review- knowing that their research will be reviewed by another researcher this may make them carefully consider if they can justify their conclusions objectively before sending the research off for peer review
• example of falsifiability in psychology- claiming 'human behaviour is due to the existence of a soul which provides us with free will' is not a scientific argument. The soul is an unfalsifiable concept, it is used to explain, but it is not observable, so cannot be shown to exist
• We can criticise several of Freud's ideas as unfalsifiable such as the ID, EGO and SUPEREGO, they are classed as unscientific as the way Freud explains the concepts means they are not open to observation or empirical experimentation, so they cannot be falsified.
• Paradigm shift- Khun 1972 claimed that scientific fields develop in a series of 'scientific revolutions' known as paradigm shifts
• Paradigm shifts- scientists within each scientific field share a set of established assumptions- paradigms, and scientists gather evidence to support these shared views, however, sometimes new contradictory evidence and theories are generated that don't fit into the old paradigm, as most scientists are committed to the old paradigm, this conflicting evidence is initially rejected.
• when paradigm shifts are seen- eventually, sufficient evidence to support the new paradigm is collected, and at this point, the majority of the scientific community feels they can no longer support the old paradigm and move at once to the new paradigm in a paradigm shift.
• paradigm shifts in psychology- early psychologists used introspection to develop theories of the mind, Freud used case studies, and Wundt used controlled scientific experimentation, this was a paradigm shift away from earlier religious and philosophical explanations that explained human behaviour as a result of concepts such as sin.