Since the birth of empirical psychology, the main task of this direction has been observation and identification of mental factsand the principles of their mutual connection.
Thus, empirical psychology focuses on specific phenomena of mental life and human states, and not on an immortal soul.
Definition of basic concepts
Empiricism - what it is? This is a trend in philosophy that denies any sources of knowledge except sensory (direct) experience.
Empiricism in psychology suggests that most of the knowledge people receive through study and experience, and not through genetic predisposition.
Empiricists (empiricists) - who are they? They are supporters of the theoretical-cognitive position, in which knowledge is considered reliable only when it relies on experience.
Empiricists tend to practice, flattening that activity is a direct way to getting results.
Empirically - through experience, experiment or personal observation.
Empirical material - any material collected experimentally or through personal observation / data collection.
Empirical thinking - thinking, the product of which is the primary synthesis of the experience gained through the practice. This simple step of knowledge, not going deep into theoretical abstraction.
Empirical thinking is often confused with practical thinking, but in reality these are two different categories.
Empirical summary - the creation of certain conclusions or the selection of the properties of objects on a single common basis, expressed in verbal form. Creating classifications by property allows you to work with a large volume of units (objects or facts).
Empirical observation - one of the methods of empirical research, expressed in the deliberate and directed perception of any object (object) of knowledge, in order to obtain information about its qualities, properties and relationships.
Empirical analysis - analysis of the object, based on sensory perception and personal experience.
Empirical method - method of research through observations and experiments with further identification of patterns.
Empirical evidence - information confirming or refuting the belief in the veracity of any judgments. All evidence is based primarily on feelings.
Empirical test - the method in which the object of study is subjected to systematic observation in order to obtain reliable information.
Empirical evidence in psychology - data obtained through the senses, empirically.
In psychology, this material is collected after direct observation or experimentation, without concomitant theoretical reasoning.
Empirical and theoretical thinking
In the history of psychological knowledge happened division of conceptual thinking into two categories.
Theoretical and empirical thinking is distinguished as two opposed concepts.
The first type of thinking is aimed at identifying, recording and describing the results of sensory experience and is called empirical.
Another type of thinking works with the essence of the subjects, the laws of development that are hidden and inaccessible to the sense organs. This type is called theoretical.
Both empirical and theoretical thinking based on a special type of abstraction and generalization. For the empirical level, this is a comparison of the individual qualities of objects and the search for differences between them based on the identified qualities.
Those. first, formally similar features are revealed, which can be assigned the status of “common”. Then they are separated from others, fixing with the help of the word-concept. The result is knowledge based on external (visual) evidence.
The empirical type of thinking does not imply an analysis of the characteristics of the object itself, the connection of its sides, hidden from the senses. The idea goes from the particular to the general, without delving into the nature of things.
Theoretical thinking works with specific features, isolating the basis for the unity of whole systems.
Psychology
Classical empirical psychology differs from the concept of "empirical", which is operated today.
It is based on the idea that science needs to move away from reasoning about the soul and go to the study of mental phenomena.
The classical empirical psychology of consciousness is within the framework of the position in which ideas arise in experience. This direction is not engaged in the study of mental phenomena through an empirical approach.
It does not require expert research. And the data obtained by sensory study or self-observation / observation, take place only as examples. In this school, the point of view extends only to the source of ideas.
Proponents of this trend in psychology believe that mental processes cannot be objectively studied through self-observation, since for each individual individual mental experiences will be individual and will not be able to act as a universal template.
Consciousness is a closed system of the inner world, obeying private laws, which can only be revealed empirically. And the experience can not be applied to other people.
Empirical psychology divides the world into spiritual and materiali.e. adheres to dualism.
When and by whom was the term introduced?
The term "empirical psychology" was introduced by German philosopher wolf in the 18th century for selection in an independent category of the discipline studying the specific phenomena of the psyche.
When did empirical social psychology flourish? Social EP received rapid development in the first half of the 20th century, when scientists, because of the complexity of the study of large groups, switched to observing small groups.
Who owns the definition of empirical psychology? The definition belongs to Christian Wolf. Further J. Locke made some changes to the concept, giving the concept of "experience" an ambiguous character, and thus redefining this direction.
Research objectives
The objectives of the study determines the purpose of the study. If a final goal - scientific knowledge, then the list of tasks includes the study of specific features, structure, cause-and-effect relationships, images of manifestation, identification of classifications and interrelation with other elements of mental organization.
Applied research gives rise to the task of analyzing the mechanisms of controlling behavioral reactions and clarifying the conditions in which certain psychological qualities of an individual manifest themselves.
Accordingly, among the tasks listed artificial reproduction of relevant conditions.
Practical research flows into the tasks of psychological support / assistance and identification of technologies that will help to more effectively cope with the provision of psychological assistance.
Basic methods
Empirical research methods are actively used. in psychology and pedagogy, providing a positive result (detailed portrait of the object / phenomenon being studied).
In this case, more often psychological and pedagogical methods are used in the aggregate, and not as a single study.
Observation
The method of research, which is based on purposeful perception of the object's behavioral strategies and processing the information received.
In this case, the violation of the natural course of the process is unacceptable, and the researcher does not interfere in the experimental environment.
Types of observation include:
- external (external observation);
- internal (self-observation);
- free (no plan);
- standardized (limited by plan);
- included (the researcher / observer is also a participant at the same time);
- third-party (the observer / researcher does not participate in the process).
Observation by systematic:
- non-system;
- systemic
Object observation:
- solid (recorded all the nuances of behavior);
- selective (individual types of behavior are recorded).
Questioning
The basis is taken observational data and other methods.
Then on the basis of this information make questionnaires.
Types of profiles in psychology:
- direct (questions imply a free and informed answer from the questioned object);
- selective (the subject chooses the most appropriate / closest answer from the list);
- questionnaire-scale (the subject assesses the correctness of certain statements and answers by the method of evaluation in points).
Conversation
During the conversation, the participants enter into a dialogue. One of the participants in the dialogue is the subject. Second participant reveals psychological reactions and features of the subject, and then fixes them.
Poll
During the survey, the subject gives answers to questions addressed to him that help reveal psychological features individual.
Types of polls:
- oral;
- writing;
- free;
- by given standards.
Test
Tests apply for accurate performance (expressed in quality and quantity).
The method involves a well-established model for collecting and processing the data obtained.
Types of tests:
- test questionnaire;
- test items.
Experiment
The method of psychological research, in which the situation is formed, contributing to the manifestation of personal psychological properties of the object being studied.
Types of experiments:
- natural;
- laboratory.
Modeling
Creating a modelwhich repeats the key features of the studied phenomenon with the aim of conducting an observation (if it is not possible to study the real prototype).
Sociometry
Study group on the subject of interpersonal relationships (as an example of the structure of relationships and compatibility).
According to Ananyev to observational research methods include observation, experiment, psychodiagnostics, praximetric method, modeling, biographical method.
The empirical method of age psychology includes all the methods listed above.
Knowledge structure briefly
The structure of empirical knowledge contains 4 levels:
- First level. Single or protocol statements containing the condition of existence or not. In such protocols, time and place must be recorded as observation conditions.
- Second level. The basis of the level are facts (general statements in a static or universal form). They register information about the absence or presence of certain events, properties, relationships, etc. in the studied plane. Also registration is subject to the quantitative parameters of the recorded data.
- Third level The basis of the level are empirical laws, which are characterized by temporal and / or spatial constancy.
- The fourth (highest) level. Phenomenological theories or a set of related laws and facts.
Thanks to the empirical school, psychology has moved away from the mental analysis of the psyche and has taken a step towards experimental methods of studying it. This gave rise to many discoveries in the field of psychological life.
Empirical methods of knowledge:
