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Unit II:Research MethodsMs. Justice
AP Psychology
2014-2015
Unit II - Overview
4 - The Need for Psychological Science
5 - The Scientific Method and Description
6 - Correlation and Experimentation
7 - Statistical Reasoning in Everyday Life
8 - Frequently Asked Questions About
Psychology
Unit II:Research MethodsModule 4
The Need for Psychological Science
Science vs. Common Sense 4-1
Did We Know It All Along? Hindsight Bias
• Hindsight Bias – the “I knew it all
along” phenomenon
• After learning the outcome of an event,
many people believe they could have
predicted that very outcome.
• Common sense more easily describes
what has happened than what will
happen.
4-1
Overconfidence
• We tend to think we know
more than we do
• Richard Goranson Study (1978)
• People said it would take about
10 seconds, yet on average they
took about 3 minutes
4-1
Anagrams
BARGEGRABE
ENTRYETYRN
WATERWREAT
Perceiving Order in Random Events
• Comes from our need to make sense
out of the world
–Coin flip
–Poker hand
–Multiple choice
tests
4-1
The Scientific Attitude 4-2
The Scientific Attitude
The scientific attitude is composed of:
curiosity (passion for exploration)
skepticism (doubting and questioning)
and
humility (ability to accept responsibility when
wrong)
4-2
Critical Thinking
• “Smart thinking”
• The scientific attitude prepares us for critical
thinking, which does not accept arguments and
conclusions blindly
• Elements of critical thinking:
• Examines assumptions
• Assesses the source
• Discerns hidden values
• Confirms evidence
• Assesses conclusions
4-2
Skepticism
• James Randi exemplifies skepticism – he has tested and debunked a variety of psychic phenomena
• $1 million challenge
The Amazing Randiwww.randi.org
4-2
James Randi Exposes
Uri Geller & Peter Popoff4-2
