features of science

• scientific experiments involve testing cause and effect relationships
• cause and effect relationships is when one event causes another to occur
• the scientific process has 5 steps:

  • aim
  • hypothesis
  • method
  • results
  • conclusion
• an aim is a statement which gives the purpose for carrying out an experiment. Always starts with "To..."
• the independent variable is the thing the researcher is changing and manipulating
• the dependent variable is the thing the researcher is measuring
• operationalisation is clearly defining how the variable is going to be measured
• the method is the exact procedure the researcher follows when conducting the experiment
• results are the changes the researcher observes
• the conclusion is the interpretation of results
• the experimental method involves testing cause and effect relationships using the scientific process
• levels of IV are the number of different versions of the IV there are in an experiment
• Being able to falsify a theory means scientific methods can be used to test it
• objectivity is keeping personal and subjective elements out of the research process
• objectivity is maintained during the procedure when:

  • researchers are neutral and professional with participants
  • researchers don't indicate to participants what they expect to find as a result of the research
• objectivity can be maintained when analysing research findings if:

  • researcher isn't biased when dealing with their findings
  • researchers not swayed by prejudices or preconceptions when analysing findings
• replicability is when research is carried out again by the same or another researcher and would be likely to show consistent results
• Replicability is only possible if variables in study are controlled and the procedure is unambiguous and precise
• The use of standardised procedures ensures replicability as it eliminates sources of bias as all participants experience same treatment per condition. For example, Peterson & Peterson (1959) tested each participant over eight trials, using the same trigrams.
• empirical method is information gained through direct observation or experiment rather than unfounded beliefs
• methods which depend on subjective experience are not empirical such as interviews and case studies
• A hypothesis is a prediction of what the researcher expects to find after conducting research. Hypothesises must be objective and measurable.
• If researchers fail to find support for a hypothesis, it requires modification
• When research findings have been analysed, a clear decision can be made as to whether the null hypothesis should be accepted or rejected
• If the null hypothesis is rejected, theory strengthened as it means the IV affected the DV
• Empirical evidence is when information is collected using direct observations.
• control in an experiment includes whether the experiment is using a control group and whether extraneous variables have been controlled. 
• Falsifiability is when the hypothesis we are testing can be proved false.
• For a study to be replicable, it must be described in sufficient detail to enable other researchers to repeat the study. If other researchers repeat the study and get the same results, then the study has replicated.
• hypothesis testing is using the scientific process to test our hypotheses.
• extraneous variables are something other than the independent variable that can affect the dependent variable.
• confounding variables are a type of extraneous variable that varies according to the level of the independent variable.