In this book we come to see that science is a process that has influenced Western civilization for at least the last 500 years. The hallmark of science is a method for helping us to know when we are wrong. Anyone can claim that something is true. We watch politicians and advertisers do this every day as they claim to have the answers to all our questions. Throughout history leaders have asked us to rely on authority rather than test what is being said. "What do you mean the earth is not the center of the universe? or "The earth is not flat" was once stated by the authorities of the day. Today, Science is the best method that we have for testing our assumptions about the world and ourselves. With this in mind, one of the major goals in writing this book was to introduce students to the basics of doing science and to help students to make the transtion from viewing themselves as outside observers of science to those who participate in the process of science.
1. What is Scinece?
2. Introduction to the Methods of Science
3. Developing the Hypothesis
4. Description of Behavior Through Numerical Representation
5. Inferential Statitics: Making Statistical Decisions
6. Testing the Hypothesis: A Conceptual Introduction
7. Control: The Keystone of the Experimental Method
8. Applying the Logic of Experimentation: Between-Subjects Designs
9. Extending the Logic of Experimentation: Within-Subjects and Matched-Subjects Approaches
10. The Ecology of the Experiment: The Scientist and Research Participant in Relation to Their Environments
Etc.