Chapter 1 Science methods

The process of science Science to gain knowledge – theoretical Examples: Science to apply knowledge – applied Thought processes: Deductive reasoning general  specific from a premise to a conclusion example: Inductive reasoning specific  general draw a conclusion based on specific observations

The all important steps… Observation Question Hypothesis: What we are going to test Can perhaps be proven false… can’t be proven true Prediction: based on hypothesis if…..(the hypothesis is true), then….. (this will be the result) Experiment: Carefully designed test of the hypothesis

Experimental Design Must have 2 groups – experimental and control The control group does NOT receive the thing being tested – everything else is the same Provides a clear basis for comparison Allows researcher to determine if the difference was due to the variable being tested Independent variable – what is being tested Dependent variable – the result

Errors in science… Inductive leap – extrapolating from known examples to unknown examples may give false generalizations Bias – may skew the outcome in one particular direction Sampling error – sample may not accurately represent the study set Ethical issues – honesty, who is funding the research, impact on society, ‘the greater good’

From hypothesis to theory A good theory: Explains a wide range of observations Has the support of numerous experiments Predicts new facts or the possibility for new information Has room for growth Many people use the term theory, when what they mean is hypothesis…