Features of science

• Objectivity


  Factual, not based upon personal opinion or feelings (physical evidence)
• Empirical


  Verifiable through observation and experience
• Objectivity is important because it means there is no bias to events
• Theory Construction


  1. Observation of a problem

  2. Create a study and falsifiable hypothesis

  3. Theory is developed
• Replicability


  The study's aim could be conducted again identically and produce similar results
• Psychological inquiries/reports/methods must be exceptionally thorough so they are replicable and getting similar results is valid evidence
• Unreplicable studies produce invalid/unacceptable theories
• Repeating a study and getting similar results increases reliability and confidence in findings
• Falsifiability


  The extent to which we know a hypothesis can be proven wrong and disputed
• Written hypotheses can be tested but if data collected disputes the theory then the hypothesis has to be changed until it cannot be proven wrong
• All psychologists set out to check if their hypothesis is falsifiable
• Falsifiability is crucial as it is the only way to determine whether a study is true (Popper)
• Regardless of amount of evidence supporting a theory, there is always a chance that new evidence could arise and disprove it
• Paradigm


  A collective way of thinking about a specific 'thing' or 'topic'
• Paradigm Shifts


  1. Growing evidence against existing paradigm

  2. Alternate theories provided

  3. New paradigm gradually accepted
• Paradigm shifts fit into Revolutionary Science
• Paradigm shifts are not an easy/fast process