1. Science uptake figures are 'science fiction', says report
Labour has been accused of fiddling the figures on the number of students studying science and maths, covering up the nation's skills crisis.
The Government now includes as "science", courses such as psychology.
Telegraph, 27 September 2009
This is a hot topic!!

2. American Science philosopher
What is a science?
According to ‘Khun’ a science should have a set of shared…..
Assumptions
Scientific methods
Terminology
American Science philosopher

3. What are the assumptions of the approaches?
Biological approach
Behaviourist approach
Cognitive approach
Developmental approach
Social approach
Are any of these assumptions shared?

4. How many scientific methods can you recall?
Lab experiment Structured Interview Field Experiment Unstructured Interview Quasi experiment Content Analysis Natural experiment Thematic Analysis Structured observation Meta Analysis Unstructured observation Participant observation Survey/questionnaire
Can you order them from most to least scientific

5. Scientific method Deductive process Inductive process
Example: the spontaneous generation theory
Life emerges from non-living matter
Make Observations
Theory
Inductive process
Mice emerge from dirty socks
Reject the theory
No mice!!!!
Deductive process
Hypothesis
Place dirty socks in a glass jar for a few days
Experiment

6. Life emerges from non-living matter
Furthermore....
A science should provide precise (operationalised) hypotheses which can be tested in order to support or refute a theory.
Make up your own hypothesis – check with a partner to see if it is fully operationalised
Falsification: something is "falsifiable" does not mean it is false; rather, that if it is false, then this can be shown by observation or experiment.
Life emerges from non-living matter

7. and.....
The theories should provide general laws or principles which should allow predictions to be made for future events.
These should be internally consistent (parts of the same theory should not contradict each other)
They should be nomothetic, they should apply to the whole population.
Why then do some psychologists prefer an ideographic approach?

8. Do psychologists share terminology?Id
Ego
Superego
unconscious
Prejudice
Neurotransmitter
Conditioning
Obedience
Levels of processing
Flashbulb memory
Reinforcement
Hormones
Do psychologists share terminology?

9. Positivism
Positivism is a philosophy that holds that the only authentic knowledge is that which is based on actual sense experience. Metaphysical speculation is avoided.
The positivist view is sometimes referred to as the scientific ideology.
In psychology, a positivistic approach is favoured by behaviourism .
Positivists prefer methods that provide quantitative data rather than qualitative data. Experiments are –valued over self report and interviews etc