Abstract
Purpose: The article discusses selected methodological issues of natural and social sciences with particular consideration of behavioural economics to highlight the significance of experimental research. Design approach: The order of the issues covered is as follows: (a) science as a product of a research community, (b) basic cognitive activities in science, (c) a short description of social sciences, (d) a discussion on the methods applied in behavioural economics. Findings: The article offers a description of research procedure, its objectives and the methods applied therein; it has been stressed that testing theories and hypotheses involves exposing them to falsification; it has been emphasised that research conducted within the framework of social sciences is more difficult than in the case of natural sciences because of the large number of independent variables and the possible interaction between the researcher and research participants. Practical implications: The content presented in the article highlights the value of scientific findings as opposed to common-sense knowledge adopted with the disregard of the principles of proper methodology. Value: The authors believe that the emergence of behavioural economics was an attempt to overcome certain deficiencies in the methodology of classical economics by means of experimental research.
Highlights
Issues related to progress in science and conducting scientific research tend to be surrounded by controversy
We would like to use this paper to briefly discuss selected methodological issues from the social sciences in relation to the relatively fresh dis cipline of behavioural economics. It is based on different paradigms than classical economics, e.g. it allows for deviations from the rationality of market participants and for drivers other than profit maximisation (Morawski, 2016)
We will try to cover the methodo logical imperfections of social sciences which have contributed to the appearance of the behavioural approach, as it is quite important to note that behavioural economics is not the only behaviour-oriented approach in social sciences
Summary
Issues related to progress in science and conducting scientific research tend to be surrounded by controversy. We would like to use this paper to briefly discuss selected methodological issues from the social sciences in relation to the relatively fresh dis cipline of behavioural economics. The sustained development of scientific knowledge leads to situations where it is sometimes neces sary to thoroughly revise old views that were once regarded as unquestionable and final They need to be adapted to new standards, or substituted with new ones. A biochemist from Harvard University, claimed that not until 1910 did the average ill person seeing a randomly selected doctor have a more than 50% chance to benefit from their appoint ment (Szczeklik, 2002) The reason for this was not physicians’ limited intellectual capacity, poor perceptiveness, or lack of care, but a lack of methodological awareness, which made researchers draw completely ungrounded conclusions. A rigorous research regime involves the application of the double-blind standard: no patients know which group they belong to, nor do any researchers know it when evaluating each patient’s condition (Szymanek and Zielonka, 2017)
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