Chapter 1 & 2 Flashcards
General goals of scientific research
(1) to describe behavior (2) to predict behavior (3) to determine the causes of behavior (4) to understand or explain behavior (5) apply knowledge to solve problems
Criteria for causal claims
(1) covariation of cause and effect (2) temporal precedence (3) ruling out alternative explanations
Covariation of cause and effect
when the cause is present, the effect occurs; when the cause isn’t present, the effect doesn’t occur
Temporal precedence
the cause must precede the effect in time
Basic research
attempts to answer fundamental questions about the nature of behavior; often focuses on testing theories rather than developing a specific application
Applied research
conducted to address practical problems in the real world and propose potential solutions
Program evaluation
a major area of applied research that tests the efficacy of programs (e.g. social reforms and innovation) to produce changes or certain outcomes in a target population
Five broad sources of ideas for research
(1) common assumptions (2) observation of the world around us (3) practical problems (4) scientific theories (5) past research
What are the non-data-driven ways of knowing?
experience/testimonial, intuition, folk wisdom/common sense, authority, logic
Pros and cons of intuition
Pro: quick and accessible knowledge; Con: can be illusory, subject to prejudices and misconceptions
Pros and cons of common sense
Pro: good research ideas; Con: confirmation bias and is often contradictory
Authority
knowledge is based on information from a “credible other”
Pros and cons of authority
Pros: experts can be authorities and it can minimize the need for us to acquire our own knowledge; Cons: not all authorities are experts and who is considered an authority
Pros and cons of testimonials
“sticky” or stays in your mind, may/may not be representative of the collection of all possible experiences, cannot account for alternative explanations
Pros and cons of logic
Pros: leads to internally consistent reasoning and decisions, easy to analyse and critique; Cons: requires correct premises/information, may have nothing to do with the real world
Affordances
cognitively processing objects based on how you can act on them
Theory
overarching framework that organizes and explains phenomena, data, and relationships among them
Hypothesis
tentative statement about a relationship that may or may not be true
What two functions do theories serve in science?
(1) organize and explain previous observations (2) generate new knowledge
Deduction
theory > hypothesis > prediction (broad to narrow)
Induction
observation > hypothesis > theory (narrow to broad)
Falsifiability
the ability for one to show that a theory or hypothesis has the capacity to be wrong
When can a theory or hypothesis be NON-falsifiable?
when there is no possible way to find evidence that proves it is wrong e.g. dog heaven
Parsimony
the least complex theory is the most desirable because it is the easiest to falsify
