Chap 1

Question 1

What does research do?

Answer 1

It supplies evidence => allows us to support or challenge (contradict) a theory

Question 2

Are there possible explanations for findings?

Answer 2

Always, multiple. When we take one out and test it one at a time, we can be more certain in testing the theory

Question 3

Do we use the word ‘prove’?

Answer 3

NO. “suggests” => because only mathematicians ‘prove’ a theory

Question 4

Findings VS conclusions

Answer 4

findings = outcomes, e.g. results from statistical tests

conclusions = what we can draw from the findings, e.g. is there a relationship between variables?

Question 5

Hypothesis testing

Answer 5

prediction (hypothesis), and research analyses data to test this

Question 6

Scientific method

Answer 6

method of investigation
- induction: particular instances => general rule
- deduction

note: merges empirical method and hypothetico-deductive method

Question 7

Empirical method

Answer 7

• “through experience”
• data gathering and observations

Question 8

Hypothetico-deductive method

Answer 8

• theories evaluated by generating and testing hypotheses
• carry out tests / experiments

Question 9

Why is replication important?

Answer 9

• science involves an unrepeatable one-off event
• ensures there is a genuine effect
• psychology claims are varied and flexible human behavior
  Note: generalizing from a small population to whole populations

Question 10

Importance of disconfirming theories

Answer 10

• allows us to find the limitations (find out what does not work for the rule in order to know what does (elimination of possible explanations) )
• scientific investigation is about the falsification of theories

Question 11

Must theories be falsified?

Answer 11

No, but we should be able to conduct tests that would falsify it IF it is indeed false (e.g. not the psychoanalytic theory)