An Examination of Science
What is Science
• Is a systematic approach for analyzing and
organizing knowledge.
• Used by all scientists regardless of the field of study
• ABA – socially important behaviors
• Uses the Scientific Method
• Allows you to achieve a thorough understanding
of the phenomena under study
▫ Seeks to discover the real truths
▫ Not those held by certain groups or organizations
Some Characteristics of Science
• Different types of investigations provide
different levels of understanding:
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Observation
Description
Prediction
Control
• Each level contributes to the overall knowledge
base in a given field
Observation
• Lots of things to look at out there
• Can be just about anything
• In Psychology and ABA - Behavior
Description
Begin to collect facts about observed events
Can quantify, classify, or examine for relations with
other “known” facts
Old Philosophers, only examine one thing (Aristotle)
New way, make comparisons between items.
Relations allow you to create hypotheses or
questions for additional research
Prediction
Defined as the probability that when one event
occurs, another event will or will not occur
Is based on repeated observations revealing
relationships between various events
Allows you to demonstrates a relationship or
correlation between events
No causal relationships can be interpreted
Control
• Is the highest level of scientific understanding
• Functional relations can be derived through
various types of examinations.
• E.g., Experimental method
Specific changes in one event (dependent
variable) can reliably be produced by specific
manipulations of another event (independent
variable)
 Change is unlikely to be the result of other
extraneous factors (confounding variables)
Control (continued)
• Events can only really be “co-related”
▫ Cannot ever factor out all other possible “causes”
▫ But you can significantly reduce them
 Is why we use statistics and probability that an event
occurs
 P<.05 vs. P<.10 vs. P<.001 etc.
Attitudes of Science
• Science as a set of attitudes (Skinner, 1953)
• Definition lies within the behavior of scientists,
not the instruments or materials they use
• Only known as science due to an overriding idea
of “scientific method”
▫ Fundamental assumptions about the nature of
events
Scientific Attitudes
• Guides the work of all scientists
• Includes:
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Determinism
Empiricism
Experimentation
Replication
Parsimony
Philosophic doubt
Determinism
• Is an Assumption upon which science is
predicated
• Presumption
The universe is a lawful and orderly place
All phenomena occur as the result of other events
Events do not just occur at will
Events are related in systematic ways
Empiricism
• Practice of objective observation of phenomena
of interest
• Is what all scientific knowledge is built upon
• “Objective” is the key to gaining a better
understanding of what is being studied
Experimentation
• Basic strategy in most sciences
• Experiment:
▫ Controlled comparison of some measure of the
phenomenon of interest (dependent variable)
under two of more different conditions in which
only one factor at a time (independent variable)
differs from one condition to another
Replication
• Allows you to determine usefulness of findings
• Includes the repetition of independent variable
conditions within experiments
• Method for which mistakes are discovered
Parsimony
• The idea that simple, logical explanations must
be ruled out, experimentally or conceptually,
before more complex or abstract explanations
are considered
• Help scientists relate findings of a study to a
field’s existing knowledge base
Philosophic Doubt
• The continuous questioning of the truthfulness
and validity of all scientific theory and
knowledge
• Involves the use of scientific evidence before
implementing a new practice, then monitoring
the effectiveness of the practice after its
implementation
Science is…
• A systematic approach to the understanding of
natural phenomena…
• As evidenced by description, and control…
• That relies on determinism as its fundamental
assumption…
• Empiricism as its prime directive…
• Experimentation as its basic strategy…
• Replication as its necessary requirement for
believability…
• Parsimony as its conservative value…
• And philosophic doubt as its guiding conscience.
ABA
• Uses the underlying principles of science
• Often uses experimental or quasi-experimental
research
• Uses in applied settings
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Individuals
Businesses
Education
Medicine
Conclusions
• Science is the basic underpinning of ABA and
Psychology in general
• Scientific method can be used to examine a wide
variety of phenomena
• Uses a variety of methods
▫ Some are more reliable and valid than others