If science depends on observation of empirical data, how can social scientists study nonobservable phenomena, such as thought patterns or imagery?
1 answer
That's an age-old question and why social "sciences" are sometimes called "soft" sciences. Research is done through observation of behaviors and tested in controlled settings (with control groups). Often results take time. Witness the famous test of young children about self control with marshmallows. If the child can resist eating the marshmallow for a short time, he/she will get two. Some can't wait! Years later we find that the children with more self-control are more successful later in life than those who wanted immediate satisfaction. But it took years and follow-up to find the pattern. It's not as easy as figuring out the freezing temperature of water. So, it's looking for patterns that might predict behaviors.