Term
| Categories of Good Psychological Research |
|
Definition
1. Purely Applied Research
2. Theory Testing |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
- seeks to solve practical problems
- does NOT seek underlying explanations
- used in industry/military
- less costly |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| seeks to explain psychological phenomena |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an explanation for a phenomenon that can be falsified and that involves entities that cannot be directly observed |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
hypothetical facts that would prove the theory false
- For an explanation to be useful, it must be able to generate predictions. As such, there must be some hypothetical facts that would prove the theory false
- it must always be possible to prove a scientific theory false |
|
|
Term
| How does theory testing work? |
|
Definition
| by using the theory to generate predictions (hypotheses) about observable events |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a tentative statement about the relationship between observable variables |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| how we tell that a result from a hypothesis proves/disproves a theory |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
1. If p (theory) is true, then q (hypothesis) is true
2. P is true
-------------------------------------------------------
Therefore, q is true |
|
|
Term
| Pros/Cons of Modus Ponens |
|
Definition
- valid argument
- NOT useful to science because it assumes the theory is true, which is what we are testing |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| If the first 2 statements are true, then the conclusion must be true |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
1. If p is true, then q is true
2. q is true
---------------------------------------------------------
Therefore, p is true |
|
|
Term
| Pros/Cons of Affirming the Consequent |
|
Definition
- NOT a valid argument
- Because it is invalid, this means it is logically impossible to prove that a theory is true
- However, if a theory makes a prediction, and the prediction is true, then it increases our belief in the theory a little bit |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
1. If p is true, then q is true
2. q is not true
----------------------------------------------------
Therefore, p is not true |
|
|
Term
| Pros/Cons of Modus Tollens |
|
Definition
- IS a valid argument
- useful to science
- science works by using modus tollens to prove theories false |
|
|
