Research Methodology*Mosso table*Intuition*Ex of drunk drivingWhat is Scientific Inquiry?*Scientific method: an objective examination of the natural world*Four goals:-What happened?-When it happened?-What causes it to happen?-Why it happens?*First goal: description = observation *Second goal: prediction = when it occurs *Third goal: causal control = systematically varying the situation *Fourth goal: explanation = understanding why it happensScienti ...view middle of the document...
*Ex:*Scientific questions: can be tested and either confirmed or shown to be false *Doesn't matter what the scientists think or believes*Replication: other researchers repeat and confirm the results of earlier studiesThe empirical process depends on theories, hypotheses, & research *3 essential elements: *1. Theory: is an idea, or model of how something in the world works *2. Hypothesis: which is a specific prediction of what should be observed if the theory under consideration is correct.*3. Research: involves the systematic and careful collection of data or objective information, to examine or test whether the given hypothesis is indeed tenable *Good research reflects cyclical interaction between theses three elementsTheory: Alcohol intoxication impairs driving skills. Data: Measures seconds a person can stand on one leg after drinking alcohol Hypothesis: People who are intoxicated will show less motor coordinationTheories should generate hypotheses *Good theory: testable hypotheses, simplicity *Ex: Jean Piaget: infant child development * Sigmund Freud: Interpretation of Dreams*Law of parsimony: when 2 competing theories exist to explain the same phenomenon, the simpler of the 2 theories is generally preferred
