Preface for Instructors.
Preface for Students.
Part I: Major Methodological Changes in Science from Antiquity to the Present.
Chapter 1: Understanding Science: The Armchair versus Practice.
Introduction.
Justification of Methodological Practices.
Precursors to Contemporary Science: An Historical Overview.
Research Paradigms, Programs, and Traditions.
Naturalism: A Brief Introduction.
Remainder of Book.
Chapter Summary.
Chapter 2: Major Issues to Emerge in 20th Century Approaches to Science.
Introduction.
Logical Positivism.
Operationism.
Popper???s Falsificationism.
Kuhn???s Psychologism and Historicism.
Chapter Summary.
Chapter 3: Methodology in the Postpositivist Era.
Introduction.
Naturalism in Science.
Lakato???s Sophisticated Falsificationism.
Laudan???s Research Traditions and Normative Naturalism.
Giere???s Cognitive Approach.
The Rise of Relativism.
Chapter Summary.
Part II: Naturalism and Modern Science.
Chapter 4: Theory Testing.
Introduction.
Scientific Theory.
Types of Theory.
Hypothesis Testing.
Induction and Deduction.
Abduction and Theory Construction.
Chapter Summary.
Chapter 5: Inference to the Best Explanation.
Introduction.
Evaluating Theories: A Critical Evaluation of Criteria.
Resolution of Ambiguity Over Time.
Natural Selection.
Brain Function and Cognitive Neuroscience.
Consilience.
Chapter Summary.
Chapter 6: The New Means of Understanding Science.
Introduction.
Empirical Methods for Better Understanding Science, Scientific Practice, and Scientists.
Chapter Summary.
Part III: Applying Naturalism to Contemporary Methodological Issues in Psychology.
Chapter 7: Postmodernism and the Rejection of the Conventional Conception of Science.
Introduction.
Underdetermination and Incommensurability.
Postmodernism.
Our Critique.
Chapter Summary.
Chapter 8: Qualitative Research Methods.
Introduction.
Rationale for Qualitative Methods.
Varieties of Qualitative Methods.
Chapter Summary.
Chapter 9: Critical Evaluation of Qualitative Inquiry???s Approach to Qualitative Methods.
Introduction.
Justification of Qualitative Methods.
Misunderstanding of Positivism.
Specific Positions of Qualitative Researchers.
Chapter Summary.
Chapter 10: Internal and External Validity.
Introduction.
Applications of Scientific Psychology.
Scientific Psychology Opposes Pseudoscience.
Chapter and Book Summary.
References.
Glossary of Terms.
Glossary of Names.
Author Index.
Subject Index.
