Enlightenment was European intellectual movement in 17th-18th centuries. Movement centered on rationalism, empiricism, and natural law. Started with Descartes' Discourse on Method in 1637. Traditional dates: Louis XIV's death in 1715, French Revolution in 1789
Francis Bacon developed modern scientific method in Novum Organum (1620). Method replaced Aristotle's Organon as foundation for modern science. Bacon believed his work had religious purpose, seeking to understand God's creation
Term coined by C. Lloyd Morgan after studying similar phrases. Edward Thorndike initiated theory based on cat puzzle box experiments. Skinner refined Thorndike's findings through operant conditioning
Experimental group receives independent variable change, control group holds it constant. Multiple experimental groups can be compared against control group. Not all experiments require control group, but those with it are called controlled experiments
Based on observations and gathering information from various sources. Starts with specific observations and forms general theories. Can be strong but not certain, even with true premises. Strengthened by large sample size and representative sampling
Experimental method manipulates variables to determine cause-and-effect relationships. Researchers randomly assign participants to control or experimental groups. Independent variable is manipulated, dependent variable is measured. Scientific method and positivism form basis of experimental approach