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Science - Coggle Diagram
Science
Social
Some prejudice/obedience research has been tested in controlled ways using laboratory or field experiments where the researcher has close control of the IV and EVs. This supports the view that psychology is a science. For example Tajfel & Turner – controlled pictures seen by all boys, Sherif –controlled in group and out group formation and tasks completed by the boys.
However, some elements of prejudice and obedience research have been hard to control. This undermines the view that psychology is a science. For example- Sherif – didn’t have control over the camp site environment or the interactions of the boys outside the tasks. New York zoo study – researchers did not have control over the personalities of the people visiting the zoo.
Some prejudice/obedience has proved highly replicable. This supports the view that psychology is a science. For example, Milgram’s standardised procedure allowed Burger to replicate his study in 2009 e.g. shock machine with fixed voltages, prompts given by the experimenter.
Milgram’s standardised procedure allowed Burger to replicate his study in 2009 e.g. shock machine with fixed voltages, prompts given by the experimenter. Milgram – believed obedience has evolved over time to allow humans to maintain order but the concept of evolution is not falsifiable (can’t measure/test it as no genetic information exists from hunter-gatherer times).
Learning
Research within the learning approach tests theories of learning in a controlled way using laboratory experiments and structured observations. This supports the view that psychology is a science. For example, Watson and Raynor controlled a number of possible EVs e.g. Albert was carefully selected for his emotional stability, his initial reaction to rats was checked (before conditioning), his reaction to other objects was checked. Bandura also controlled possible EVs e.g. children were matched for aggression, children were kept apart, modelling of aggression was standardised across all conditions.
Research attempts to be highly objective, focusing only on observable behaviour. This produces empirical research and supports the view that psychology is a science. For example, Conditioning is based on observable behaviour amongst the dogs (salivation), the pigeons (pressing of levers), the children (punching of Bobo doll).
However, the use of highly controlled experiments results in lower validity. Scientific research should aim to be reliable and valid. For example, Bandura – Bobo doll – children were separated from other individuals (children, teachers, parents) and also from the model. This is not realistic as children often observe role models in the presence of others and have the chance to interact with the model. This reduces the validity of findings about imitation and social learning.
However, it may be impossible for researchers to remain 100% objective in their observations and analysis of behaviour. This undermines the view that psychology is a science. For example,Bandura – Bobo doll – researchers may have chosen to record the aggressive acts they were expecting to see (punching, kicking) and ignored other behaviours. Watson & Raynor – may have expected Albert to become more frightened at certain stages of the study and influenced him to react in a fearful way.
Biological
Theories use falsifiable concepts that are accepted within the scientific world as falsifiable as they are physically testable (empirically testable). This supports the view that psychology is a science. For example, Brain functioning is falsifiable – activity levels can be seen on a PET scan image. Hormone influence is falsifiable – levels of testosterone can be traced in saliva/blood tests.
However, some methods used in biological psychology are not as scientific as they first appear as not all the variables are known/controlled. This undermines the view that psychology is a science. For example, Correlation is not causation – no variables are controlled and only 2 variables are measured. This does not allow for cause-and-effect relationships to be identified between biological processes and behaviour e.g. Dolan.
Research within biological psychology tests theories of brain functioning and biological processes using scientific, objective methods such as correlation and brain scanning. This supports the view that psychology is a science. For example, Raine’s study of abnormalities in murderers’ brains used PET scans as an objective measure of brain activity. Dolan’s study amongst male offenders used saliva testing as an objective measure of testosterone.
Not all concepts are accepted within the scientific world as falsifiable as they are not physically testable (empirically testable). This undermines the view that psychology is a science. For example, Evolutionary theory is not falsifiable as it is not possible to return to hunter-gatherer times to trace the evolution of behaviour – so the evolutionary theory of aggression is not falsifiable.
Cognitve
However, some research within cognitive psychology involves subjective analysis of interviews with brain damaged patients. This undermines the view that psychology is a science. For example, HM was observed and tested over many years. However, there is no formal record of his memory abilities before the operation. This brings issues for cause and effect - it is unclear if some of HM’s difficulties were due to epilepsy or the removal of the hippocampi. Also, the researchers may not have remained fully objective in their analysis of his memory abilities as they were so closely involved in HM’s life and their hypothesis testing.
Some concepts/ideas in cognitive psychology are not falsifiable. This undermines the view that psychology is a science For example, Some mental processes may not be fully falsifiable as their exact location is unknown and experiments may only partially prove their existence e.g. storing information in schemas or transferring information between memory stores is difficult to observe and test empirically.
Research within cognitive psychology tests theories of mental processes in a controlled way using scientific methods such as laboratory experiments and brain scanning. This allows for close control of the IV and EVs. This supports the view that psychology is a science. For example, Baddeley – controlled LTM by adding an interference task to eliminate the influence of an EV (STM). He also carefully matched word across the 4 conditions according to how frequently they appear in the English language. He also used standardised procedures (e.g. acoustic and semantic word lists) which allowed for replication of the experiment (Exp 1, 2 and 3)