Features of science

• What methods are used in science to gain information?

  Empirical methods
• How do empirical methods gather information?

  Through direct observation or experimentation
• Why is empirical evidence important in science?

  It verifies claims through direct testing
• What does objectivity in empirical data mean?

  Data is not affected by researcher biases
• What is the ideal condition for collecting objective data?

  Carefully controlled conditions
• Who suggested that scientific theories should be falsifiable?

  Karl Popper
• What does falsifiability mean in scientific theories?

  Theories should be testable and provable false
• What is pseudoscience according to Popper?

  Theories that cannot be falsified
• What is a theory in scientific terms?

  A set of laws or principles explaining events
• How is a theory constructed?

  By gathering evidence using empirical methods
• What hypothesis could be generated from the theory of STM memory?

  People will remember 7-digit postcodes better
• What is deduction in the context of theories?

  Deriving new hypotheses from existing theories
• What must findings from a theory be to be trusted?

  Repeatable across different contexts
• What does replicability assess in scientific findings?

  Reliability and validity of the findings
• What is a paradigm in science?

  A shared set of assumptions and methods
• Why is psychology considered a 'pre-science'?

  It lacks a universally accepted paradigm
• What causes a paradigm shift in science?

  Questioning existing paradigms leading to new evidence
• What are the sections of a scientific psychological report?

  1. Abstract
  2. Introduction
  3. Method

  • Design
  • Sample
  • Apparatus/Materials
  • Procedure
  • Ethics

  1. Results
  2. Discussion
  3. Referencing
• What is the purpose of the abstract in a scientific report?

  To summarize major elements of the report
• How should the introduction of a report be structured?

  From least relevant to most relevant literature
• What details are included in the method section of a report?

  Research method, sample, apparatus, procedure, ethics
• What should the results section of a report summarize?

  Key findings including statistics and themes
• What are the key areas discussed in the discussion section?

  Summary of results, limitations, wider implications
• What does the referencing section of a report contain?

  Full details of literature used in the report
• How should journal references be formatted?

  Surname, initial, date, title, journal number, page number
• How should book references be formatted?

  Surname, initial, date, title, place, publisher