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An Examination of Science

An Examination of Science. What is Science. Is a systematic approach for analyzing and organizing knowledge. Used by all scientists regardless of the field of study ABA – socially important behaviors Uses the Scientific Method

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An Examination of Science

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  1. An Examination of Science

  2. What is Science • Is a systematic approach for analyzing and organizing knowledge. • Used by all scientists regardless of the field of study • ABA – socially important behaviors • Uses the Scientific Method • Allows you to achieve a thorough understanding of the phenomena under study • Seeks to discover the real truths • Not those held by certain groups or organizations

  3. Some Characteristics of Science • Different types of investigations provide different levels of understanding: • Observation • Description • Prediction • Control • Each level contributes to the overall knowledge base in a given field

  4. Observation • Lots of things to look at out there • Can be just about anything • In Psychology and ABA - Behavior

  5. Description • Begin to collect facts about observed events • Can quantify, classify, or examine for relations with other “known” facts • Old Philosophers, only examine one thing (Aristotle) • New way, make comparisons between items. • Relations allow you to create hypotheses or questions for additional research

  6. Prediction • Defined as the probability that when one event occurs, another event will or will not occur • Is based on repeated observations revealing relationships between various events • Allows you to demonstrates a relationship or correlation between events • No causal relationships can be interpreted

  7. Control • Is the highest level of scientific understanding • Functional relations can be derived through various types of examinations. • E.g., Experimental method • Specific changes in one event (dependent variable) can reliably be produced by specific manipulations of another event (independent variable) • Change is unlikely to be the result of other extraneous factors (confounding variables)

  8. Control (continued) • Events can only really be “co-related” • Cannot ever factor out all other possible “causes” • But you can significantly reduce them • Is why we use statistics and probability that an event occurs • P<.05 vs. P<.10 vs. P<.001 etc.

  9. Attitudes of Science • Science as a set of attitudes (Skinner, 1953) • Definition lies within the behavior of scientists, not the instruments or materials they use • Only known as science due to an overriding idea of “scientific method” • Fundamental assumptions about the nature of events

  10. Scientific Attitudes • Guides the work of all scientists • Includes: • Determinism • Empiricism • Experimentation • Replication • Parsimony • Philosophic doubt

  11. Determinism • Is an Assumption upon which science is predicated • Presumption • The universe is a lawful and orderly place • All phenomena occur as the result of other events • Events do not just occur at will • Events are related in systematic ways

  12. Empiricism • Practice of objective observation of phenomena of interest • Is what all scientific knowledge is built upon • “Objective” is the key to gaining a better understanding of what is being studied

  13. Experimentation • Basic strategy in most sciences • Experiment: • Controlled comparison of some measure of the phenomenon of interest (dependent variable) under two of more different conditions in which only one factor at a time (independent variable) differs from one condition to another

  14. Replication • Allows you to determine usefulness of findings • Includes the repetition of independent variable conditions within experiments • Method for which mistakes are discovered

  15. Parsimony • The idea that simple, logical explanations must be ruled out, experimentally or conceptually, before more complex or abstract explanations are considered • Help scientists relate findings of a study to a field’s existing knowledge base

  16. Philosophic Doubt • The continuous questioning of the truthfulness and validity of all scientific theory and knowledge • Involves the use of scientific evidence before implementing a new practice, then monitoring the effectiveness of the practice after its implementation

  17. Science is… • A systematic approach to the understanding of natural phenomena… • As evidenced by description, and control… • That relies on determinism as its fundamental assumption… • Empiricism as its prime directive… • Experimentation as its basic strategy… • Replication as its necessary requirement for believability… • Parsimony as its conservative value… • And philosophic doubt as its guiding conscience.

  18. ABA • Uses the underlying principles of science • Often uses experimental or quasi-experimental research • Uses in applied settings • Individuals • Businesses • Education • Medicine

  19. Conclusions • Science is the basic underpinning of ABA and Psychology in general • Scientific method can be used to examine a wide variety of phenomena • Uses a variety of methods • Some are more reliable and valid than others

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