AKA
the history of
the
Hypothetico-Deductive model in psychology
I. Logical Positivism and Operationism
Auguste
Comte (1798-1857):
Law of Three Stages, induction,
socially useful knowledge
Ernst
Mach (1838-1916): Sensationistic Physics
| 1885 - Analysis of sensations: All of physical theory and laws can be framed in terms of sensations |
|
Relativism
is expected: Influenced Albert Einstein
Unification
of Science along with the expulsion
of metaphysics and ethics
was their goal
Theoretical terms
can be linked to observation
terms or "Protocol
Sentences" through theoretical
statements of the relationships
between such
observations and theoretical
constructs
Verifiability
principle: "The
meaning of a proposition
is the
method of its verification." The truth or
meaning of a statement is
to be found in the
verification (proof) made
by observations
Laws
of Science are summary statements about
regularly correlated observations
and predictions
Explanation
is found in the verification of determinations
or predictions
II. Percy Bridgman (1882-1961): Operationism
1927 - The logic of modern physics
Phenomenalism: Knowledge is limited to an individual's observations
vs.
The "'Operational definition', as practiced in psychology, seeks to universalize the language community by reducing a concept to an observation"
The Death
Of Positivism and the Birth of Ordinary Language
