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Based on the hypothetico-deductive method, explain why this study's outcome does not automatically disprove the psychologist's broader theory that chronic stress impairs spatial memory. What should the psychologist do next with their theory?
Case context: A psychologist proposes a theory stating that chronic stress impairs spatial memory. To test this, the psychologist conducts an experiment where they predict that participants exposed to a loud, uncontrollable noise (a stressor) during a task will make more errors on a virtual maze than those in a quiet room. The results show no significant difference in maze errors between the stress and control groups, meaning the hypothesis is disconfirmed.
Question: Based on the hypothetico-deductive method, explain why this study's outcome does not automatically disprove the psychologist's broader theory that chronic stress impairs spatial memory. What should the psychologist do next with their theory?
Sample answer: In the hypothetico-deductive method, disconfirming a hypothesis does not necessarily mean that the underlying theory has been disproved. The failure to support the prediction could be due to other factors, such as the acute noise stressor not successfully mimicking chronic stress, or the virtual maze not being a valid measure of spatial memory. Instead of discarding the theory, the psychologist should reevaluate the theory and the experimental design, perhaps refining the hypothesis or the empirical test for a future study.
Key points:
- Disconfirming a hypothesis does not disprove the underlying theory.
- The experimental methods or operationalizations may be flawed rather than the theory itself.
- The researcher should reevaluate or refine the theory or research design based on the results.
Rubric: To receive full credit, the answer must: 1. State that a disconfirmed hypothesis does not mean the underlying theory is disproved. 2. Recognize that the experimental test or operational definitions (e.g., acute stress vs. chronic stress, virtual maze errors) may have been inadequate rather than the theory itself being wrong. 3. Explain that the researcher should reevaluate or refine the theory or test, representing the cyclical nature of the scientific process.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
Related
Deductive Reasoning
Generating Hypotheses
Example of a Non-Testable Hypothesis
Example of a Hypothesis
Role of Hypothesis Testing in Theory Refinement
Sources of Hypotheses: Observation and Prior Research
The Scientific Standard for Establishing Causality: Controlled Experiments
A researcher is investigating the connection between the amount of time spent on a social media app and users' self-reported levels of happiness. The researcher starts with the general idea that excessive social media use might negatively affect well-being. Which of the following statements represents the most effective and scientifically testable hypothesis for an experiment on this topic?
The 'If-Then' Relationship between Theories and Hypotheses
Testing Competing Theories with Hypotheses
Characteristics of a Good Hypothesis
The Cyclical Process of Scientific Inquiry
Deriving a Hypothesis from the James-Lange Theory
Falsifiability and Confidence in Scientific Research
Requirement of a Hypothesis for Scientific Experiments
A-theoretical Hypothesis
Variable
Population
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