Chapter 1Introduction to Scientific Research

9/4/2012

Roadmap

• Taking a course in research methods is like _______ .

• Course roster verification• Blackboard: Keep checking for materials– PPT slides

• Chapter 1

Introduction to Scientific Research

• What is Science?• What is scientific research?• What are the goals of scientific research?• What are the assumptions of scientific research?• What is the role of the researcher and theory?• What is Pseudoscience and how do we recognize it?

How do we Acquire Knowledge?

• Multiple ways to acquire knowledge

Knowledge Acquisition

• Intuition: a way to acquire knowledge not based on reasoning or inferring

• Authority: accepting information as fact because it comes from a highly respected source

Knowledge Acquisition

• Rationalism- acquire knowledge through reasoning

• Empiricism- acquisition of knowledge through experience

Science

• A way of acquiring information that is designed to systematically produce reliable and valid information about the world

• Different “scientific methods” throughout history

• So what is science and how do we do it?

• First, understand the basic assumptions underlying scientific research.

Basic Assumptions Underlying Scientific Research

• Uniformity/Regularity in Nature

• Determinism- the belief that there are causes of behavior and mental processes.

Basic assumptions cont.

• Reality in Nature

• Discoverability– Assumption that it is possible to discover the

uniformities that exist in nature.

Characteristics of Scientific Research

• We rely on these to produce reliable knowledge:

• Control• Operationalism• Replication

Control

• Control refers to eliminating any extraneous variables that could affect observations.

• Impacts ability to draw causal inferences

Operationalism

• In science we must be specific with regard to what we are talking about.

• An operational definition is the definition of a concept by the operations or measures used to measure them.– Example: Anxiety

Replication

• Ability to reproduce the findings from another study.

• If the findings are “real” then I should be able to replicate someone else’s study.– What might affect this?

• What if we can’t replicate results?

Replication, cont.

• Problem: the importance of replication in science ≠ commitment to carrying out replication studies

• Meta-analysis: Quantitative technique for describing the relationship between variables across multiple research studies.

Goals of Scientific Research

• Ultimately, science seeks to understand the world around us.

• Description• Explanation• Prediction• Control

Description

• Typically where science starts.

• Describe the phenomenon.

Explanation

• Determine WHY something happens– Identify antecedent conditions

• Most things are not caused by only one factor but rather multiple factors.

Prediction

• After we know what something is and why it occurs, we want to be able to predict it.

• Prediction is the ability to anticipate the occurrence of an event before it occurs.

Control

• Control in this case refers to the manipulation of antecedent conditions to produce a change in outcome.

*Note: multiple uses of the word “control”– See p. 22 in text for discussion

Role of Theory in Scientific Research

Observations from studies

Formulate Theory

Generate testable hypotheses using the theory Prediction false Prediction True Theory is inaccurate Theory is useful in explaining

phenomenon

Role of the Scientist (read in text)

• Curiosity– “Serendipity- the art of finding one thing while

looking for another” (Skinner, 1956)– “Chance favors the prepared mind” (Pasteur,

1854)• Patience• Objectivity• Change

Pseudoscience

• Pseudoscience is an approach that claims to be scientific but is not based on scientific methods

• Based on methods and practices that violate many tenets of science

Ways to identify Pseudoscience

• Creating new (ad hoc) hypotheses to explain away negative findings

• Emphasis on Confirmation rather than Refutation- reinterpret negative findings as support.

Ways to identify Pseudoscience

• Absence of Self- Correction

• Reversed Burden of Proof

• Overreliance on Testimonials and Anecdotal Evidence

Ways to identify Pseudoscience

• Use of Obscure language to make a claim sound like it has survived scientific scrutiny

• Absence of a connection with other disciplines that study related issues

Suggestion:

To help you get in the psychological scientist mindframe, check out:

www.psychologicalscience.org

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