Exam_1_Part_2_PSY_395

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Michigan State University *

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395

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Philosophy

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Jan 9, 2024

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docx

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3

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Week 2 What is an empirical question? What are the differences between an empirical question and a philosophical question? How are empirical questions related to science? - An empirical question can be answered scientifically while philosophical questions cannot be scientifically supported. Empirical questions are based on observations and can be supported with factual evidence. Scientifically, empirical questions can be descriptive and answer questions like, “How do non-STEM major students view STEM major students?”. They can also be causal and answer questions like, “What causes A in B?”. The answers to philosophical questions are theoretical and subjective. Oftentimes, they simply cannot be answered because there is no way of obtaining evidence to answer them. An example of a philosophical question would be, “What happens after death?”. The reason why empirical questions are important in scientific research is because they have to be able to use empirical evidence to support/disprove their claims and hypotheses. You can use the scientific method to apply systematic empiricism to describe, predict, and explain the things around us. This is how we gain scientific knowledge. What is confirmation bias? How does it lead to biased findings in research, or biased answers to questions in everyday life? What are some ways to avoid confirmation bias? - Confirmation bias is when you search for things to confirm or back up what you believe. You are biased and search for evidence to support your argument without taking into account the evidence that may disprove your belief. This leads to biased findings in research because you are only actively seeking the information that benefits your point. This blinds you to aspects of your findings that may go against what you may have wanted. In everyday life, an example could be given with zodiac signs. You may meet a few people who are very outgoing and extroverted that have the Leo zodiac sign. You may use this information to assume that all Leos are very extroverted and automatically search for outgoing characteristics in people that are a Leo to validate your notion. Even if they are not extroverted, you only search for times that they show
these characteristics to confirm your belief. Although this is a simple everyday example, it becomes a critical problem in scientific research. Ways to avoid confirmation bias are to have others review your evidence and to go about your research in a manner that you are disproving your statement rather than validating it. Since you already know to look out for supporting data, by focusing on the data that could prove you wrong, you are broadening your awareness. Week 3 What is an impact factor as it relates to scientific literature? What is it meant to evaluate, and what can it be used for when examining the quality of scientific sources? - An impact factor relating to scientific literature is the average number of citations for each article used in the literature for the past two years. It is meant to evaluate the credibility of the article which is crucial since you want the foundation of your work to be strong. Even if your research is organized perfectly, it will fall short if it is based on unreliable sources. If it has a high impact factor, you can determine that the article is significant and to indicate quality. Because you only want to use reliable sources when it comes to scientific literature, it is important to have strong articles that will ensure that your research is valid and supported by others in your field. With this impact factor, it can help you determine which journals will be a strong addition to your research or do the opposite. If you use a journal with a low impact factor, this may decrease the credibility and quality of your work. What is a theory, and what is a hypothesis? How are these related, and how do these differ in accomplishing the same goals? - A theory is an explanation of something that is supported by evidence. A theory and hypothesis cannot ever be proven to be completely factual. The whole point of a theory is that it is a viable
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