PSYO 111 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Descriptive Statistics, Frequency Distribution, Observer-Expectancy Effect
26 Oct 2016
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Dogmatism: tendency for people to cling to assumptions. Empiricism: belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation. Empirical method: set of rules and techniques for observation. Reactivity: people feel one thing and act a different way. Empiricism is the belief that the best way to understand the world is to observe it firsthand. It is only in the last few centuries that empiricism has come to prominence. Empiricism is at the heart of the scientific method, which suggests that our theories about the world give rise to falsifiable hypotheses, and that we can thus make observations that test those hypotheses. The results of these tests can disprove our theories but cannot prove them. O(cid:271)se(cid:396)(cid:448)atio(cid:374) does(cid:374)"t just (cid:373)ea(cid:374) (cid:862)looki(cid:374)g. (cid:863) it (cid:396)e(cid:395)ui(cid:396)es a (cid:373)ethod. The (cid:373)ethods of psychology are special because, more than most other natural phenomena, human beings are complex, variable, and reactive. In order to measure we must do two things:
