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Science Vs. Common Sense

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Task: List at least three similarities and three differences between common sense and science. Analyze and discuss the relationship between common sense approaches to psychology and how it can impact someone's work as a psychology professional. Then lastly, provide examples of how this might occur and what could be done to overcome it.

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Solution Summary

The relationship between common sense and science as sources/bodies of knowledge is tackled in this solution to help the student answer the problems listed (see above). Resources are listed for further exploration of the topic. This is all completed in about 860 words.

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Common Sense vs. Science

How do we perceive and make judgements about the world? Ordinarily, the human reaction is to utilize common sense. Common sense is that judgement we make that we feel is most prudent and applicable to the problem based on what we come to understand and observe - what is right in front of us. These usually are simple facts. For example, before leaving the house for work in the morning, when we look out the window and find that the weather appears to be windy and wet, we wrap up warm and bring and umbrella - it is what we call 'common-sense'. Common sense therefore is practical and a human attribute that allows us to make reasonably safe decisions. Practical, human judgements about the world allows us to establish certain things about it as common sense becomes and arbiter of facts and what we come to perceive as valid 'readings' of what is before us. Science is also a method of establishing knowledge and like common sense, we also utilize science, in particular the scientific method to establish knowledge. But unlike common-sense, science follows the scientific form of inquiry, a step by step process that involves the practice and application of varied steps to establish the validity of a claim, to prove a hypothesis, to validate an assumption and to establish a theory. Common sense involves ...

Solution provided by:
Xenia Rochelle Jones, MA, PhD (IP)
Education
  • MPhil/PhD (IP), Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • MA, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • Certificate, Geva Ulpan (via Universita Tel Aviv)
  • BA, University of the Philippines
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