Questions

• You may not “double-dip” in regards to the HSP/REC requirement• Must specify class when signing up

• Cozby as an e-book?• Different section with different instructor

The History of Human Understanding

• Metaphysical Systems:• Attributing behavior or

experiences to nonphysical forces such as spirits or deities

• Violates scientists’ established physical laws

The History of Human Understanding

• Animism• Belief that natural phenomena are alive and influence behavior

• Possession of animal parts endows the owner with psychological

aspects of the animal

• Wind, sun, and rain have temperaments

• Plato – “the universe is alive and has a soul”

• Aristotle – gravity reflects the desire of physical objects to return to mother earth

The History of Human Understanding

• Mythology and religion• Deities of spiritual rather than

physical existence• More sophisticated explanations

than animism• Non-physical forces influence

behavior• Important: science can’t determine

whether right or wrong – just different than science

• Difference set of assumptions• Both attempt to explain

behavior

The History of Human Understanding

• Astrology• Human behavior is

determined by the activity of celestial bodies

• Relegated to mere entertainment

The History of Human Understanding

• Philosophy• Study of knowledge and

behavior through logic, intuition, and observation

• Early philosophers were influenced by popular beliefs

• Descartes accepted notion that nerves were hollow tubes that “animal spirits” were carried through

The History of Human Understanding

• Physiology and Physical Sciences

• Study of the functions of the interrelations between different

parts of the brain and body

• The scientific method is used in physiology

• Physiologists taught psychologists the value of careful, systematic experimentation through

observation.

CHAPTER 1CHAPTER 1

SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF BEHAVIOR

LEARNING OBJECTIVESLEARNING OBJECTIVES

Explain the reasons for understanding research methods

Describe the scientific approach to learning about behavior, and contrast it with pseudoscientific research

LEARNING OBJECTIVESLEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn about the four goals of scientific research: description, prediction, determination of cause, and explanation of behavior

Define basic and applied research

The Science of PsychologyThe Science of Psychology

• Freud & modern psychology

• Modern psychological methods

• Why is the scientific method important?• Systematic Empiricism• Public Knowledge

• Replication

• Peer Review (beware if bypassed)

• Answerable Questions

The Science of PsychologyThe Science of Psychology

• The Scientific Method

The Science of PsychologyThe Science of Psychology

• Answerable Questions = Testable Theories• “Testable” is always changing

• But why do we need all this? Isn’t it commonsense?• Many commonsense beliefs have been tested

(teenage employment, aggression & self-esteem, 10% of our brain)

USES OF RESEARCH METHODSUSES OF RESEARCH METHODS

Increasingly important in public policy and judicial decisions

Homework AssignmentImportant when developing and assessing

the effectiveness of goal oriented programs

THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACHTHE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

Limitations of IntuitionIntuition relies unquestioningly on personal

judgment Reflect our need to impose orderEg. Bad things happen in 3’sInvolves cognitive and motivational biases

Erroneous conclusions about cause and effectExample: Illusory correlation

THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACHTHE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

• Allows you to be skeptical of authority

• Examples of Authority• News media• Books• Government officials

• Internet

THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACHTHE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH

Skepticism, Science, and the Empirical ApproachEmpiricismFalsifiabilityPeer review

Integrating Intuition, Skepticism, and Authority

Elements of Goodstein’s Evolved Elements of Goodstein’s Evolved Theory of ScienceTheory of Science

Observations accurately reported to others

+Search for discovery and verification of ideas

+

Open exchange and competition among ideas

+

Peer review of research

GOALS OF SCIENCEGOALS OF SCIENCE

Description of BehaviorPrediction of Behavior (Ex. Eating & test

performance)

Determining the Causes of BehaviorTemporal precedenceCovariation of the cause and effectAlternative explanations

Explanation of Behavior

BASIC AND APPLIED BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCHRESEARCH

Basic ResearchFundamental questions about the nature

of behavior

- Theoretical issues often concern basic phenomena such as cognition, emotion, motivation, learning, psychobiology, personality development, and social behavior.

BASIC AND APPLIED BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCHRESEARCH

Applied ResearchConducted to address issues in which

there are practical problems and potential solutions.

Program evaluation

BASIC AND APPLIED BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCHRESEARCH

• Comparing Basic and Applied Research• Neither is considered superior to the other

• Applied research is often guided by theories and findings of basic research

• Findings in applied settings often require modification of existing theories and spur more basic research