시험가능성

시험가능성(testability)은 과학과 과학적 방법의 주요 측면이다. 시험가능성에는 두 가지 구성 요소가 있다.

1. 반증 가능성 또는 반박 가능성, 즉 가설에 대한 반례가 논리적으로 가능하다는 의미이다.
2. 그러한 반례가 실제로 존재할 경우, 그것들을 재현 가능한 일련의 관측을 통해 실질적으로 관찰할 수 있는 실용적인 실행 가능성.

요컨대, 가설은 누구든지 실험을 통해 그것이 참인지 거짓인지 결정할 가능성이 있다면 시험 가능하다. 이를 통해 누구나 이론이 지지될 수 있는지 또는 반박될 수 있는지 자료를 바탕으로 결정할 수 있다. 그러나 실험 데이터의 해석 역시 확정적이지 않거나 불확실할 수 있다. 칼 포퍼는 과학적 지식이 반증 가능성이라는 속성을 가지고 있다고 과학적 발견의 논리에서 발표했다.

같이 보기

• 확증 가능성
• 제어 가능성
• 관측 가능성
• 과학적 방법
• 시험 방법

추가 자료

• Johansson, Lars-Goran (2015). 〈Hypotheses and hypothesis testing〉. 《Philosophy of science for scientists》. Cham: 스프링거-페어라크. 41–61 (59)쪽. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-26551-3. ISBN 9783319265490. OCLC 923649072. ... the question of whether the auxiliary assumption is testable or not is not so easy to determine as it might first appear. Criteria regarding independent testability do not seem to be absolute. ... The least common denominator for all sciences is that hypotheses are formulated and tested. This is meaningful only if one is prepared to change one's mind after testing, to admit that even one's favourite hypothesis was wrong. ... The result of the test is either that the predictions and observation reports are compatible, or that they conflict. In the former case one may be justified to say that one's hypothesis is supported. In the latter case one must reconsider something; one must reject either the hypothesis, some auxiliary assumption, or the observation report. 
• Kegan, Robert; Lahey, Lisa Laskow (2009). 〈Designing tests of your big assumption〉. 《Immunity to change: how to overcome it and unlock potential in yourself and your organization》. Leadership for the common good. Boston: 하버드 비즈니스 프레스. 256–264쪽. ISBN 9781422117361. OCLC 231580325. The purpose of each test you run is to see what happens when you intentionally alter your usual conduct and then reflect upon the meaning of the results for your big assumption. ... To make [the assumption] testable, you may have to back up and unearth a prior assumption in the sequence ... Once you've chosen a big assumption to test, the next step is to design your first experiment to challenge it.  로버트 케건과 리사 레이는 일상생활에서 개인의 암묵적 가정을 명시적 시험 가능한 가설로 바꾸는 방법을 제안한다.
• Keuth, Herbert (2004) [Published in German 2000]. 〈From falsifiability to testability〉 1 English판. 《The philosophy of Karl Popper》. Cambridge, UK; New York: 케임브리지 대학교 출판부. 48–49쪽. ISBN 9780521548304. OCLC 54503549. Consequently, the universal statements, which are contradicted by the basic statements, are not strictly refutable. Like singular statements and probability statements, they are empirically testable, but their tests do not have certain, definite results, do not result in strict verification or falsification but only in temporary acceptance or rejection. 
• Popper, Karl (2002) [Published in German 1935; English translation 1959]. 《과학적 발견의 논리》 Reprint판. London; New York: 라우틀리지. 95–120 (95)쪽. doi:10.4324/9780203994627. ISBN 9780415278447. OCLC 48533950. Theories may be more, or less, severely testable; that is to say, more, or less, easily falsifiable. The degree of their testability is of significance for the selection of theories. In this chapter, I shall compare the various degrees of testability or falsifiability of theories through comparing the classes of their potential falsifiers. This investigation is quite independent of the question whether or not it is possible to distinguish in an absolute sense between falsifiable and non-falsifiable theories. Indeed one might say of the present chapter that it 'relativizes' the requirement of falsifiability by showing falsifiability to be a matter of degree. 
• Sober, Elliott (November 1999). 《Testability》. 《미국 철학 협회 회보 및 강연》 73. 47–76 (47–48)쪽. doi:10.2307/3131087. JSTOR 3131087. The idea that some experiments really do test a proposition, while others do not, is not controversial, nor does it deserve to be. ... Testing is to testability as dissolving is to solubility. If we can understand what testing is, we also should be able to understand what testability is.