3. Describe the characteristics of a good (reliable) theory.
According to the textbook on page twenty- six, a theory “explains with principle that organize with observations and predict behaviors or events.” A good theory does two things: it organizes observed facts and implies hypothesis that offer testable predictions and sometimes practical applications. To organize observable facts it is important to use methods that are easily understandable reading and interpreting the data for example graphs are excellent ways to display data. For testable predictions one of the most important things to remember is to leave opinions or feelings out of a hypothesis. An example would be the question “Who is better, boys or girls?” Examining this closely it would be a matter of entire opinion what the testable subjects said. You could change this hypothesis simply by saying, “Who is stronger, boys or girls?” While this isn’t a great hypothesis it at least offers a testable prediction- strength.
According to the textbook on page twenty- six, a theory “explains with principle that organize with observations and predict behaviors or events.” A good theory does two things: it organizes observed facts and implies hypothesis that offer testable predictions and sometimes practical applications. To organize observable facts it is important to use methods that are easily understandable reading and interpreting the data for example graphs are excellent ways to display data. For testable predictions one of the most important things to remember is to leave opinions or feelings out of a hypothesis. An example would be the question “Who is better, boys or girls?” Examining this closely it would be a matter of entire opinion what the testable subjects said. You could change this hypothesis simply by saying, “Who is stronger, boys or girls?” While this isn’t a great hypothesis it at least offers a testable prediction- strength.