That is, a claim can be conceivably demonstrated to be untrue. In the early 20th century, Karl Popper (1902-1994) suggested that science can be distinguished from pseudoscience (or just everyday reasoning) because scientific claims are capable of being falsified. One additional feature of modern science not included in this list but prevalent in scientists’ thinking and theorizing is falsifiability, a feature that has so permeated scientific practice that it warrants additional clarification. Features of good scientific theories ( Kuhn, 2011) A short list of some of the commonly cited features of scientific theories and data is shown in Table 1. There are generally agreed-upon features that distinguish scientific thinking-and the theories and data generated by it-from everyday thinking. To make the best decision with the information at hand, we need to appreciate the differences between personal opinions and scientific statements, which requires an understanding of science and the nature of scientific reasoning. What should a student who wants to perform well on exams do? One source of information encourages her to cram, while another suggests that spacing out her studying time is the best strategy. The process of induction, alone, does not seem suitable enough to provide trustworthy information-given the contradictory results. In these scenarios, both scientific and everyday conclusions are drawn from a limited sample of potential observations. Similarly, a researcher’s conclusion against cramming might be based on studies comparing the test performances of people who studied the material in different ways (e.g., cramming versus study sessions spaced out over time). For example, a person’s opinion that cramming for a test increases performance may be based on her memory of passing an exam after pulling an all-night study session. Scientific and everyday reasoning both employ induction: drawing general conclusions from specific observations. Understanding the similarities and differences between scientific and everyday (non-scientific) statements is essential to our ability to accurately evaluate the trustworthiness of various claims. Scientists also draw conclusions, claiming things like, “There is an 80% chance of rain today,” or, “Dogs tend to protect their human companions.” You’ll notice that the two examples of scientific claims use less certain language and are more likely to be associated with probabilities. Scientific Versus Everyday ReasoningĮach day, people offer statements as if they are facts, such as, “It looks like rain today,” or, “Dogs are very loyal.” These conclusions represent hypotheses about the world: best guesses as to how the world works. You will also come to appreciate how scientific reasoning is different from the types of reasoning people often use to form personal opinions. You will come to understand how scientific research informs our knowledge and helps us create theories. In this module, you will learn about scientific thinking. Science is a way of using observable data to help explain and understand the world around us in a trustworthy way. Determining what information is well-informed is a crucial concern and a central task of science. The trustworthiness of information is especially important in an era when “fake news,” urban myths, misleading “click-bait,” and conspiracy theories compete for our attention alongside well-informed conclusions grounded in evidence. But, although the quantity of information is continually increasing, it’s always good practice to consider the quality of what you read or watch: Not all information is equally trustworthy. We live in the “Information Age,” with people having access to more explanations and answers than at any other time in history. What’s more, if you were to ask your friends, they would probably also have opinions about these questions-opinions that may even differ from your own.Ī quick internet search would yield even more answers. Perhaps you view imaginary friends as expressions of a dangerous lack of realism. Maybe you think getting rich or falling in love leads to happiness. Įven if you’ve never considered these questions before, you probably have some guesses about their answers. Why are some people so much happier than others? Is it harmful for children to have imaginary companions? How might students study more effectively? Today, people are overwhelmed with information although it varies in quality. Discuss science as a social activity, comparing and contrasting facts and values.Articulate what it means to think like a psychological scientist, considering qualities of good scientific explanations and theories.Understand why scientific conclusions and theories are trustworthy, even if they are not able to be proven.Compare and contrast conclusions based on scientific and everyday inductive reasoning.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |