peer reviews and key features of science

what are peer reviews

an independent assessment process that takes place before a research study is published and is undertaken by other experts in the same field of psychology

are all works peer reviewed

yes

what are the aims of peer reviews

- provide reccomendations on whether research should be published in the public domain or whether it needs revision

- to check the validity and quality of research

- to assess the appropriateness of procedure and methodology

- to judge the significance of research in the wider context of behaviour

- to assess the work for originality

- to inform the allocation of future research funding to worthy investigative processes

what are the pros of peer reviews

- ensuring scientific quality -> allows errors or poor methodology to be detected to maintain high academic standards and increased credibility

- prevents misinformation -> filters out flawed or unethical research so it protects the public and the scientific community from misinformation

what are the cons of peer reviews

- bias -> reviewers may be influenced by person or theoretical biases favouring research which supports their own views or coming from well-known isntitutions which can limit objectivity

- suppression of innovation -> can discourage groundbreaking or unconventional research as reviewers favour studies which fit in accepted norms or exisitng theories which can then slow scientific process

what are the key features of science

- objectivity

- replicability

- falsifiability

- theory construction and hypothesis testing

- paradigm and paradigm shifts

what does objectivity mean

avoiding personal biases

what is considered the most objective experiments? why?

lab experiments due to the high control

what experiments are considered less objective? why?

natural experiments, observations, and content analysis which may be less objective due to limited control and subjective interpretations

what do empirical methods do

gain knowledge through direct, systematic, and measurable observation to ensure theories are tested and evidence based

what does replicability mean

its the ability to conduct research again in the same way it was originally conducted

what does replicability allow

allows findings to be repeated abd reliability to be measured across various studies and ensures research is robust and thorough

what does Popper 1934 say about falsifiability

believes it should be able to disprove a research hypothesis

what is the idea behind falsifiability

all researcg usabattempt to prove an idea false so a null hypothesis exists which suggests any difference or relationship found is due to chance

what does a theory explain

behaviours or events which is based on empirical evidence not belief

what does theory construction use

inductive (bottom-up) approach

what is the inductive approach

where researchers collect data first, spot patterns, and then forms a theory

what is the deductive approach

top-down approach so starts with a theory which leads a testable hypothesis

what is a hypothesis

it is a prediction of what the researcher expects to find after conducting research, must be objective and measurable so results can either support or challenge the theory leading to an adjustment if needed

what does it mean if a null hypothesis can be rejected

it's strengthened due to a signficiant result

what is a paradigm

a set of shared assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that guide how research is constructed within a scientific discipline

what does a paradigm refer to

dominant theoretical framework or approacg that shapes what questions are asked and how studies are designed and interpreted

what does Khun 1962 say about psychology

that it is a pre-science as it lacks a single unifying paradigm

when does scientific progress happen

through paradigm shiftd

what is a paradigm shift

where new ideas replace old ones after growing acceptance