Exam (elaborations)
Different methods of acquiring knowledge
- Course
- Psychology 243 (PSY243)
- Institution
- Stellenbosch University (SUN)
Notes for Exam prep, drawn up from the text book and insights from the slides
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Chapter 1: Different methods of acquiring knowledgeSocial scientists use systematic, rational thought and observation to
gain knowledge about human beings and the world they inhabit.
Epistemology: the study of ways of knowing about the world.
(Basically the study of understanding).
Non-scientific methods of obtaining knowledge:
Method of authority: This is when children rely on the knowledge
and understanding of their parents or caregivers. Adults also use
this when they rely on the knowledge of experts. This is a way of
understanding or formulating knowledge. (In a sentence: “I know
this by method of authority”.) However, this can be potentially
dangerous, as experts can use this to their own advantage, like
using information to deceive people for personal gain.
Other non-scientific methods include:
The mystical method: This is when the truth is assumed to be
from a supernatural source. This includes witch doctors or
traditional healers in African cultures. This “source of
wisdom”'s authority is seldom questioned. This form of
understanding is less prevalent among educated people.
The intuitive method: This is based on what “feels right” to the
individual. They trust in their intuition to lead them to the
truth. This can also be dangerous as the reason why someone
does or believes something cannot always be explained or
understood by others. This method is also very relative.
Conventional wisdom: This is a variation of the intuitive
method, and relies on commonly accepted sayings which have
no evidence to back it up and sometimes contradict. E.g.
“Opposites attract” and “Birds of a feather flock together.”
The rationalistic method: This is based on human reasoning. It
relies on purely intellectual processes and logic. An example of
this includes mathematical thinking.
The empirical method: This is the opposite of the rationalistic
method as it relies on the observation of facts from nature. It
emphasises objectivity and perceiving an observable reality.
So, it says that facts can only be believed and trusted if your
five senses can perceive it. However, the scientific method is a
combination of the rationalistic and the empirical method.
The Scientific method:
This assumes the following:
1. The existence of natural and social laws. It assumes that
everything that happens in nature is caused by specific laws, like
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