PSYC 111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Dependent And Independent Variables
Document Summary
Science stems from empirical observation, measurement and description are critical to that process. Researchers must measure the phenomenon under study, this involves developing an operational definition of your construct. E. g. you can measure anxiety by measuring cortisol levels, tremors, etc. Hypothesis: a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. Variables: the things that are observed or controlled in a study. The purpose of an experiment is to find out how one variable, x, affects another variable, y. Information that is gathered by scientists may be of practical value to solving problems in businesses, mental health centers, schools, etc. Theories are a product of inductive logic. Inductive logic- premises supplied strong evidence for a truth of a conclusion and the conclusions are probable, not definitive. If a is likely to result in b, then a is also likely to result in c and d. Hypothesis- derived from theories to be applied to a specific, testable example.