Chapter 1 Notes

Ways of knowing
1. Intuition: gut feeling, not very reliable, science places little credence
2. Authority approach: Reliance on someone perceived to be knowledgable, perceived expertise, questionable value
3. Rational-inductive approach: reasoned answers, logical, limited value due to faulty logic reasoning and memory skills
4. Scientific approach: systematic observation and recording of events (Also referred to as Empirical approach), laboratories

The book focusses on three research methods under the Empirical approach:
1. Experimental method: tries to determine causes using carefully controlled conditions
2. Correlational method: looking for reasonably accurate predicitions, but not cause and effect
3. Quasi-experimental: looks like experimental, but can't determine causality

Reliability: consistant measurements of the same thing repeated
Validity: measurement actually measures what it claims to measure

Objective measures: based on direct use of sensory information
Subjective measures: based on reactions of observer

Bias for positive instances: paying more attention to events that support our preconceived expctations and often ignoring any negative instances

Rival explanations: alternative hypotheses that could give rise to the same data

Operational definitions: precise definition used in the procedures

Replication: observations can be repeated with the same results

Internal validity: study allows us to answer the research question
External validity: findings can be generalized broadly