Chapter 1
Science and the Scientific
Approach
Science and Common Sense
• Science and common sense differ sharply in five ways.
These disagreements revolve around the words
systematic and controlled.
• 1.the use of conceptual schemes and theoretical
structures are different. Serious v.s. loose fashion.
• 2.Scientists systematically and empirically test their
theories and hypotheses. Selection tendency
• 3.Notion of control. Systematically rule out variables that
are possible “cause” of the effects under study other
than the variables hypothesized to be the “causes.”
• 4.The scientist is constantly preoccupied with
relationships among phenomena.
• 5.The scientist rules out “metaphysical explanations”
Four Methods of knowing
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1.method of tenacity
2.method of authority
3.a priori method/method of intuition
4.method of science: self-correction,
objectivity
Science and Its Functions
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What is science is not easy to answer
Three popular stereotypes
Two views of science
Static view: a body of fact. A way of
explaining phenomena.
• Dynamic view: an heuristic view. Stress
problem-solving rather than facts and
bodies of information.
Science and Its Functions
• Sampson’s two views of the science of
social psychology.
• Traditional (Quantitative) v.s.
Sociohistorical (Qualitative): Primary goal,
Philosophical position, Metaphoric
statement, Methodological considerations
The aims of Science, Scientific
Explanation, and Theory
• A theory is a set of interrelated constructs
(concepts), definitions, and propositions that
present a systematic view of phenomena by
specifying relations among variables, with the
purpose of explaining and predicting the
phenomena.
• Scientists do not really have to be concerned
with explanation and understanding. Only
prediction and control are necessary.
The aims of Science, Scientific
Explanation, and Theory
• The prediction view of science has validity.
• The notion of generality is important. Be
applied to wider situation.
• Theories are tentative explanations.
Guiding research plan by generating
testable hypotheses and organizing facts
obtained from the testing of these
hypotheses. A good theory is one that
cannot fit all observations.
Scientific Research: A Definition
• Scientific research is systematic, controlled,
empirical, amoral, public, and critical
investigation of natural phenomena. It is guided
by theory and hypotheses about the presumed
relations among such phenomena.
• 1.”systematic and controlled” means much
confidence in research outcomes.
• 2.scientific investigation is empirical. If the
scientist believes something is so, that belief
must somehow or other be put to an outside
independent test.
• 3.knowledge obtained scientifically is not subject
to moral evaluation.
The Scientific Approach
• Dewey (1933/1991): “How We Think”. A special
systematized form of all-reflective thinking and
inquiry.
• Problem-Obstacle-Idea: vague and/or
unscientific thoughts or unsystematic hunches
• Hypothesis: a conjectural statement, a tentative
proposition about the relation between two or
more phenomena or variables.
• Reasoning-Deduction: the process of moving
from a broader picture to a more specific one.
• Observation-Test-Experiment: the essence of
testing a hypothesis is to test the relation
expressed by the hypothesis.