PSYCO104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Scientific Method, Falsifiability, Operational Definition

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCO104
• Professor: James Farley

Document Summary

(cid:862)life is li(cid:448)ed for(cid:449)ards, (cid:271)ut u(cid:374)derstood (cid:271)a(cid:272)k(cid:449)ards(cid:863) (cid:894)kierkegaard(cid:895) Hindsight bias: tendency to feel like after the fact that we understand what happened. Apparent relying on hindsight is problematic when considering rampant contradictions that arise. Issue of rampant contradictions when relying on hindsight. Good theories ge(cid:374)erate (cid:862)a(cid:374) i(cid:374)tegrated (cid:374)et(cid:449)ork of predi(cid:272)tio(cid:374)s(cid:863) Te(cid:454)t(cid:271)ook e(cid:454)p: (cid:862)a(cid:271)se(cid:374)(cid:272)e (cid:373)akes the heart gro(cid:449) fo(cid:374)der(cid:863) (cid:448)s (cid:862)out of sight out of (cid:373)i(cid:374)d(cid:863) Incorporates existing facts and observations w/n a single broader framework (organizes info in a meaningful way) Predictions made by the theory are supported by research findings (ie data) La(cid:449) of parsi(cid:373)o(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:894)also k(cid:374)o(cid:449)(cid:374) as o(cid:272)(cid:272)a(cid:373)"s razor(cid:895) =general framework. Scientific method: things we want to measure in psychology is not so objective. Historically, psychology has been slow to apply the scientific method. More people present = less likely someone will help. Theory = more generalized, well-rounded statement than hypothesis. Dynamic (new knowledge/theories are constantly replacing older ones)