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The Scientific Attitude
The Scientific Attitude
The Need for Psychological Science
The Need for Psychological Science
The Limits of Intuition and Common
Sense
The Limits of Intuition and Common
SenseHow can we best use psychology to understand why people think, feel and act as they do?
We must separate uninformed opinions from examined conclusions!
How can we best use psychology to understand why people think, feel and act as they do?
We must separate uninformed opinions from examined conclusions!
Did we know it all along?
Did we know it all along?
Romance - Psychological findings
Romance - Psychological findings
Hindsight BiasHindsight Bias
Tendency to believe, after learning the outcome, that one would have foreseen it
I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon
Tendency to believe, after learning the outcome, that one would have foreseen it
I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon
The Need for Research
The Need for Research
Common sense is after the fact
Describes what has already happened, rather than predicting the future
Scientifically proven or common sense?
Common sense is after the fact
Describes what has already happened, rather than predicting the future
Scientifically proven or common sense?
True or False?True or False?
1. If you want to teach a habit that persists, reward the desired behavior every time, not just intermittently.
FALSE! Behavior that is rewarded intermittently is much more addictive - think gambling!
1. If you want to teach a habit that persists, reward the desired behavior every time, not just intermittently.
FALSE! Behavior that is rewarded intermittently is much more addictive - think gambling!
True or False?True or False?
2. Patients whose brains are surgically split down the middle survive and function much as they did before surgery.
TRUE! While they may have a few “quirks” (such as drawing a square with their left hand and a circle with their right), they live healthy, normal lives.
2. Patients whose brains are surgically split down the middle survive and function much as they did before surgery.
TRUE! While they may have a few “quirks” (such as drawing a square with their left hand and a circle with their right), they live healthy, normal lives.
True or False?True or False?
3. Traumatic experiences, such as sexual abuse or surviving the Holocaust, are typically “repressed” from memory.
FALSE! People typically remember their traumatic event vividly. It is usually “automatically encoded” - also called a flashbulb memory.
3. Traumatic experiences, such as sexual abuse or surviving the Holocaust, are typically “repressed” from memory.
FALSE! People typically remember their traumatic event vividly. It is usually “automatically encoded” - also called a flashbulb memory.
True or False?True or False?
4. Fears of harmless objects, such as flowers, are just as easy to acquire as fears of potentially dangerous objects, such as snakes.
FALSE! Think of the evolutionary perspective - our ancestors that were not afraid of snakes may have been bitten - and died! This is nature!
4. Fears of harmless objects, such as flowers, are just as easy to acquire as fears of potentially dangerous objects, such as snakes.
FALSE! Think of the evolutionary perspective - our ancestors that were not afraid of snakes may have been bitten - and died! This is nature!
True or False?True or False?5. Adopted siblings tend not to develop similar personalities, even though reared by the same parents.
TRUE! Findings from studies of hundreds of adoptive families is that people who grow up together, whether biologically related or not, do not much resemble one another in personality. Consider this: is your personality identical to that of your siblings?
5. Adopted siblings tend not to develop similar personalities, even though reared by the same parents.
TRUE! Findings from studies of hundreds of adoptive families is that people who grow up together, whether biologically related or not, do not much resemble one another in personality. Consider this: is your personality identical to that of your siblings?
ScrambleScramble
WREAT --> WATERETRYN --> ENTRYGRABE --> BARGEAbout how many seconds do you think it would have taken you to unscramble each of these?
WREAT --> WATERETRYN --> ENTRYGRABE --> BARGEAbout how many seconds do you think it would have taken you to unscramble each of these?
Your TurnYour Turn
OCHSA
The average problem solver spends 3 minutes!
OCHSA
The average problem solver spends 3 minutes!
OverconfidenceOverconfidence
Hindsight makes it seem obvious - so much so that people become overconfident
Hindsight bias and overconfidence often lead us to overestimate our intuition
Hindsight makes it seem obvious - so much so that people become overconfident
Hindsight bias and overconfidence often lead us to overestimate our intuition
The Scientific Attitude
The Scientific Attitude
Curiosity!Be skeptical, but not cynicalBe open, but not gullible
Curious skepticism -
What do you mean? How do you know? Show me the evidence!
Humility - you may have to reject your own ideas
Critical thinking - know it, show it!
Curiosity!Be skeptical, but not cynicalBe open, but not gullible
Curious skepticism -
What do you mean? How do you know? Show me the evidence!
Humility - you may have to reject your own ideas
Critical thinking - know it, show it!
The Scientific Attitude
The Scientific Attitude
Scientific approach helps us sift reality from illusionCritical thinking examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence and assesses outcomes
Put ideas to the test!
Scientific approach helps us sift reality from illusionCritical thinking examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence and assesses outcomes
Put ideas to the test!
The Scientific Methods
The Scientific Methods
TheoryHypotheses - a testable predictionHow will you test it? Survey? Case study? Experiment?
Operational Definition - statement of procedures used to define research variables
Replication
TheoryHypotheses - a testable predictionHow will you test it? Survey? Case study? Experiment?
Operational Definition - statement of procedures used to define research variables
Replication
The Scientific Method
The Scientific Method
(1) Theories -->
(2) Hypotheses --> (3) Research and
Observations -->
(1) Refined Theories, cont.
(1) Theories -->
(2) Hypotheses --> (3) Research and
Observations -->
(1) Refined Theories, cont.
Research MethodsResearch Methods
SurveysMany cases in less depthAdvantages - DisadvantagesFalse consensus effect - the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviorsWhat are the three largest divisions of Christianity in the United States?
SurveysMany cases in less depthAdvantages - DisadvantagesFalse consensus effect - the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviorsWhat are the three largest divisions of Christianity in the United States?
Research MethodsResearch Methods
Case StudiesStudy one individual in great depth
Advantages - Disadvantages
Case StudiesStudy one individual in great depth
Advantages - Disadvantages
CorrelationCorrelation
Board Notes :) Board Notes :)
