Overview
• Intro: fact and fiction
• What is science?
• What Science is not
– Stereotypes
– Myths
• Assumptions of
science
– Empricism
– Determinism
– parsimony
• Methods of Science
– Objectivity
– control
– Operational definition
FACT AND FICTION?
• How about a little more credibility!
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Better?
TRUTH AT LAST?
• Credibility is good but…
– It does not insure “truth.”
–SCIENCE!..in the pursuit of truth!
Does Science Equal Truth?
• Jose Delgado
A screening Process may be
important!
How do most Humans make their
decisions about truth?
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Tenacity
Authority
Intuition
Logic and rationalism
Most of us have difficulties seeing
errors in our thinking
• “THE AXIOMS OF HUMAN BELIEF”
• Humans believe
• Humans believe their belief is correct
AXIOMS
• When Challenged?
How gullible are we?
– Did Clinton Inhale?
– Does nicotine cause addiction?
AXIOMS
• Humans jump to conclusions.
Axioms
• Simplify complex situations
Axioms
• Resist deep consideration
Axioms
• Vulnerable to perceptual and social
illusion
Axioms
• Infinite capacity to be….
Axioms
• Difficulty identifying our own
misconceptions.
• So What can we do?
Recognize the problems
• We will not be able to approach truth
without recognition of our limitations
• Devise mechanisms that help reduce
these problems.
SCIENCE
• What is Science?
• Science is NOT….
STEREOTYPES OF SCIENCE?
Nerds?
So what is Science?
• METHOD!
– A set of principles of observation,
measurement and control that seek to
uncover objective reality.
– “Self-correcting”
Assumptions of science
– Truth will be revealed over time with the
Scientific Method
– Empiricism-consensual validation
– Determinism
– parsimony
Overview of the Methods of
Science
– Objectivity
– control
– Operational definition
– Probabilistic thinking
– Amorality
Goals of Science
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Practicality
Describe
Predict
Understand
Control
Characteristics of a Good
Scientist?
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THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE
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Ideas
Problem Formation
Goal or Hypothesis
Design
Conduct/Collect
Analysis
Interpretation
Report
FEEDBACK
IDEAS
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Common observation
Logic
Practical problems
Intuition
• Theory
IDEAS cont’
• Theory
– Explains
– Simplifies
– Unifies
– interesting
• Testable/falsifiable
Theory vs Observational
approaches
• Deductive vs inductive reasoning
– Not truly separable
– Popular emphasis on deduction
• But….
• Descriptive vs Inferential (experimental)
Research
Descriptive vs Experimental
Research
• Describing vs identifying causes
• Consider reactivity and “control.”
Descriptive Research
• Poor or Less rigorous approaches:
– Anecdotal observation
– Case study
– Systematic exploration
Better approaches
• Archival research
– Where could we find meaningful records?
• Naturalistic observation
– Naturalistic means unobtrusive
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Technology
Distance observation
Concealment
Acclimatization/fade
• Naturalistic observation with Intervention
– A standardized “naturalistic” event
• Naturalistic Observation-participant
observer
THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE
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Ideas
Problem Formation
Goal or Hypothesis
Design
Conduct/Collect
Analysis
Interpretation
Report
FEEDBACK
Which technique would you choose
to study…say
• Human sexual intimacy?
Psychological Phenomena that are:
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Private
Sensitive
Rare
internal
SELF-REPORT
approaches…….SURVEYS
• What do we want to know
• Construction
– Questions
– responses
• Who do we want to know about
-Administration
– sampling