risky prediction

a prediction made on the basis of a scientific hypothesis that has a real possibility of proving that hypothesis wrong. According to Austrian-born British philosopher Karl Popper (1902–1994), certain ostensibly scientific theories and hypotheses, including many in psychology, can be stretched in order to explain a range of possible experimental results. To the extent that this can occur, the theory or hypothesis is not genuinely falsifiable and thus not genuinely scientific. Popper held that scientific theories must be tested by means of risky predictions. See falsifiability; falsificationism.

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Psychology term of the day

November 22nd 2024

respiratory disorder

a general term for any disorder involving one or more components of the respiratory system, such as the diaphragm, lungs, trachea, larynx, or nasal cavities. See also asthma; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.