INTRODUCTION TO INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF PHILOSOPHY OF

SCIENCESCIENCE

Damon Burton & Andy Damon Burton & Andy GillhamGillham

University of IdahoUniversity of Idaho

What are the 2 What are the 2 sport psychologies?sport psychologies?

What does Martens What does Martens think about think about orthodox science? orthodox science? Why?Why?

What is objectivity? What is objectivity? Why does Kuhn and Why does Kuhn and Polyani think this Polyani think this doctrine is false?doctrine is false?

How does How does science evolve?science evolve?

What is the What is the difference difference between the leap between the leap and the creep and the creep approaches?approaches?

What is What is reductionism? Is it reductionism? Is it a good paradigm?a good paradigm?

What is DK Theory?What is DK Theory?

DK THEORYDK THEORYDamn Konfident

Scientific Method (Using the Heuristic Paradigm)

Systematic Observation

Single Case Study

Shared (Public) Experience

Introspection

Intuition

Don’t Know

What is the What is the difference between difference between idiographic and idiographic and nomothetic nomothetic methods?methods?

What other types of What other types of experiential experiential knowledge could be knowledge could be used more in sport used more in sport psychology?psychology?

What are the roles of What are the roles of basic” and “applied” basic” and “applied” research? research?

What balance should What balance should there be between these there be between these 2 types of research?2 types of research?

KINESIOLOGICAL KINESIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGY

KinesiologyKinesiology – study of human – study of human movementmovement

Kinesiological psychology --Kinesiological psychology -- psychological study and psychological study and ramifications of human ramifications of human movementmovement

Kinesiological Psychology

Motor Learning

Motor Development

Social Psych of Physical Activity

Sport Psychology

KINESIOLOGICAL KINESIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGYPSYCHOLOGY

Motor Learning --Motor Learning -- study of motor study of motor behavior from a learning psychology behavior from a learning psychology perspective.perspective.

Motor Development --Motor Development -- study of motor study of motor behavior from a developmental behavior from a developmental psychology perspective.psychology perspective.

Social Psychology of Physical Activity --Social Psychology of Physical Activity -- study of how social psychological study of how social psychological variables influence motor behavior and variables influence motor behavior and new movement patterns and visa versa.new movement patterns and visa versa.

Sport Psychology --Sport Psychology -- study of human study of human motor behavior in a sport context.motor behavior in a sport context.

FUNDAMENTAL FUNDAMENTAL AXIOMS OF SCIENCEAXIOMS OF SCIENCE

reality of spacereality of space reality of timereality of time reality of matterreality of matter quantifiability of quantifiability of

mattermatter belief that space belief that space

is realis real belief that time belief that time

is realis real

belief that matter belief that matter is realis real

what exists, exists what exists, exists in some amountin some amount

what exists, and what exists, and even relationships even relationships between existing between existing phenomena, are phenomena, are amenable to amenable to observation and observation and measurementmeasurement

FUNDAMENTAL FUNDAMENTAL AXIOMS OF SCIENCEAXIOMS OF SCIENCE

consistency in consistency in the universethe universe

The universe is The universe is organized in an organized in an orderly manneorderly mannerr

There is There is regularity, regularity, constancy, constancy, consistency, and consistency, and uniformity in the uniformity in the operation of the operation of the universeuniverse

FUNDAMENTAL FUNDAMENTAL AXIOMS OF SCIENCEAXIOMS OF SCIENCE

Intelligibility of Intelligibility of the Universethe Universe

DeterminismDeterminism

EmpiricismEmpiricism

Science holds that we Science holds that we can observe, know, can observe, know, and understand the and understand the universe in which we universe in which we live.live.

All events are All events are determined or determined or caused.caused.

Knowing is the result Knowing is the result of first-hand, direct of first-hand, direct original observation.original observation.

Information derived from Lachman (1960)

POLANYI’S TRIADPOLANYI’S TRIAD OF KNOWLEDGE OF KNOWLEDGE

Focal Target

(Problem)

Subsidiary Awareness

(Clues)

Person(Links the 2 Together)

OPERATING OPERATING CONCEPTIONS OF CONCEPTIONS OF

SCIENCESCIENCE Concept of Concept of

ObjectivityObjectivity

Concept of Concept of AmoralityAmorality

Scientists must remain Scientists must remain impersonal, impartial, impersonal, impartial, and detached in and detached in making observations making observations and in interpreting and in interpreting data; the scientists data; the scientists must maintain a must maintain a disinterested attitudedisinterested attitude

Science is not moral or Science is not moral or immoral; it is amoralimmoral; it is amoral

OPERATING OPERATING CONCEPTIONS OF CONCEPTIONS OF

SCIENCESCIENCE Concept of Concept of

CautionCaution

Concept of Concept of SkepticismSkepticism

Scientists must maintain Scientists must maintain meticulous caution and meticulous caution and painstaking vigilance in painstaking vigilance in their methodstheir methods

Scientists reject the Scientists reject the notion of absolutism; notion of absolutism; refuse to acknowledge refuse to acknowledge authoritarianism or authoritarianism or dogmatism as a source dogmatism as a source of knowledge, even the of knowledge, even the data of science are data of science are viewed as tentativeviewed as tentative

OPERATING OPERATING CONCEPTIONS OF CONCEPTIONS OF

SCIENCESCIENCE Concept of Concept of

Theory Theory Construction Construction

and Utilizationand Utilization Concept of Concept of

ParsimonyParsimony

Science strives to Science strives to build and test theorybuild and test theory

Science should be Science should be conservative in stating conservative in stating the implications of its the implications of its data; the data should data; the data should be interpreted in the be interpreted in the simples, most succinct simples, most succinct form possibleform possible

OPERATING OPERATING CONCEPTIONS OF CONCEPTIONS OF

SCIENCESCIENCE Concept of Concept of

ReductionismReductionism

Science strives to Science strives to reduce specific data to reduce specific data to succinct statements of succinct statements of consistencyconsistency

Reductionism Reductionism demands that demands that generalizations be generalizations be specified in terms of specified in terms of precise mathematical precise mathematical formulaeformulae

HARLAN CLEVELAND HARLAN CLEVELAND (1985)(1985)

Cleveland provides a complementary Cleveland provides a complementary way of looking at knowledge. He says way of looking at knowledge. He says there are four key terms related to there are four key terms related to knowledge: knowledge: data, information, data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. knowledge, and wisdom.

DataData are undigested observations, are undigested observations, unvarnished facts. unvarnished facts.

InformationInformation is organized data. is organized data. KnowledgeKnowledge is organized information, is organized information,

internalized by me, integrated with internalized by me, integrated with everything else I know from experience everything else I know from experience or study or intuition, and therefore or study or intuition, and therefore useful in guiding my life. useful in guiding my life.

Wisdom Wisdom

HARLAN CLEVELAND HARLAN CLEVELAND (1985)(1985)

““Wisdom,” Cleveland states, “is Wisdom,” Cleveland states, “is integrated knowledge, integrated knowledge, information made super useful information made super useful by theory, which relates bits and by theory, which relates bits and fields of knowledge to each fields of knowledge to each other, which in turn enables me other, which in turn enables me to use the knowledge to do to use the knowledge to do something” (p. 23). something” (p. 23).

This is what Polanyi calls the This is what Polanyi calls the “tacit dimension.”“tacit dimension.”