2 - The Nature of Science

Abstract

Formal neuropsychology is based on science and hence the chapter reviews the nature of science. The essence of science is to demonstrate the existence of knowledge by means of objective observation methods that are repeatable, testable, and verify predictions. There are two forms of science: discovery and justification. Discovery introduces constructs or theories and methods to science, which are often incorrect. Consequently, to be reliable, science must justify its procedures by a validation process that usually determines their accuracy. All discovered methods and information must be justified to be reliable. Thus, justification is the essence of science. To accomplish this process, science requires instrumentation. This chapter lays particular emphasis on instrumentation, because the basis of neuropsychology is its instrumentation. This instrumentation was derived from psychology, although the form of the instrumentation in neuropsychology pertains to testing procedures related to brain functioning. Instruments sample an area of nature, isolate it, transform it into a quantitative form, and record it as objective information. This entire process is not dependent on human judgment. Instrumentation is also the basis for validation procedures. They are objective testing processes that determine the accuracy and thus the reliability of the relevant knowledge.