1. Experimental Psychology and the Scientific
Method
Stereotyping. This is falsely assuming
that specific behaviors cluster together
Stereotyping. This bias misleads
us because it ignores individual
differences
HOW ARE SCIENCE, METHODOLOGY AND DATE
INTERRELATED?
Science. It connotes content and process
Methodology. Consists of the scientific
techniques used to collect and and evaluate
data
Data. Facts gathered using scientific methods
Overconfidence bias. This is a tendency
to hold a false and misleading
assessment of our skills, intellect, or
talent
Overconfidence bias. Occurs
when we feel more confident
about out conclusions than is
warranted by available data
Overconfidence bias. The
tendency to be more confident
in our ability to act ethically
than objectively justified by out
abilities and moral character
Overconfidence bias. This form
of nonscientific inference can
result in erroneous conclusions
when we don't recognize the
limitations of supporting data
TYPES OF GATA GATHERING METHODS
1. Observation (naturalistic or laboratory)
2. Survey and questionnaires
3. Test and performance measures
WHAT IS COMMONSENSE PSYCHOLOGY?
Commonsense psychology. Nonscientific data
gathering
Commonsense psychology. This approach uses
nonscientific sources of data and nonscientific
inferences derived from everyday experiences
Fritz Heider. He was the one who called
nonscientific data gathering as commonsense
psychology
THE CHARACTERISITICS OF MODERN SCIENCE
WHY IS COMMONSENSE PSYCHOLOGY
BIASED?
• Data from everyday encounters have
been generated from a very small
sample
Bias. This occurs when data is generated
from a very small sample by drawing
conclusions that may limit accuracy and
usefulness
SCIENTIFIC MENTALITY
Scientific mentality. Assumes that
behavior follos a natural order and can
be predicted
Alfred North Whitehead. Proponent of
scientific mentality
•
•
WHAT IS NONSCIENTIFIC INFERENCE?
Nonscientific inference. It is the nonscientific
use of information to explain or predict
behavior
Example: gambler's fallacy, overuse of
trait explanations, stereotyping,
overconfidence bias
Gambler's fallacy. this is the erroneous
belief that if a particular event occurs
more frequently than normal during
the past it is less likely to happen in the
future
Gambler's fallacy. In this type of
inference, people misuse data
to estimate the probability of an
event
Overuse of trait explanations. This is
making unwarranted dispositional
attributions and underuse situation
information e.g. Horoscope
Overuse of trait explanations.
This bias becomes a problem
because it can reduce the
accuracy of explanations and
accuracy
Scientific mentality is essential to
science
There is no point using the scientific
method to gather and analyze data if
there is no implicit order
EMPIRICAL DATA
Empirical data. Data that can be
observed or experienced
Galileo. Is to empirical approach
as to Aristotle is to
commonsense method
LAW
Law. Consists of statements generally
expressed as equations with few
variables that have overwhelming
empirical support
THEORY
Theory. This is the interim explanation
of laws
Theory. A set of related statements
used to explain and predict phenomena
Theory. Integrate diverse data, explain
behavior and predict new instances of
behavior
GOOD THINKING
Good thinking. We are engaged in this
when data collection and
interpretations are systematic,
objective and rational
PARSIMONY
parsimony. This principle of preferring
the simplest useful explanation
Social contagion. The most
parsimonious explanation of bulimia
HOW DOES SCIENCE ADVANCE?
REVISION OF THEORIES
Sir Karl Popper. He proposed that
science advances by revising theories
based on the weight of evidence
Revising theories. How science
advances according to Sir Karl Popper
Science. It is self-correcting as scientific
explanations and theories are
challenged, revised or replaced
Falsification. Scientific theories are
tested by this, not verification
REPLICATION
Replication. An exact or systematic
repetition of a study
Replication. This process increases our
confidence in experimental results by
adding to the weight of supporting
evidence
RESEARCH
FOUR MAIN OBJECTIVES OF SCEINCE
1. Description. a systematic and unbiased
account of observed characteristics of
behaviors.
2. Explanation.knowledge of the
conditions that reliably produce a
behavior
3. Control. the use of scientific knowledge
to influence behavior
4. Prediction. the capability of knowing in
advance when certain behaviors should
occur
TYPE OF RESEARCH
Applied research. Type of research that
addresses real-world problems like how
to improve student graduation rates
Basic research. Type of research that
tests theories and explains
psychological phenomena like helping
behavior
MAIN TOOLS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
Observation. the systematic noting and
recording of events
Systematic. It means that the
proceudres are consistently applied
Objective. This must be the
characteristic of an observation so that
there can be strong agreement among
raters
Measurement. assigns numbers to objects,
events, or their characteristics; this is an
inherent feature of quantitative research
Numerical scales. What Baron and
colleagues used in their study to
measure anger and depression
Experimentation. the process we use to test
the predictions we call hypotheses and
establish cause-and-effect relationships
Testable. A characteristic of an
experimentation that makes it not
always possible
Ethical concerns, technological
limitations. Factors that may prevent
experimentation
Two. At least how many treatment
conditions should there be in an
experiment
Extraneous variables. Type of variables
in psychology experiments that we
control to measure "what we intend to
measure"
HOW DOES AN EXPERIMENT ESTABLISH CAUSE
AND EFFECT?
Experiment. It attempts to establish
cause and effect relationship between
the IV and the DV
Temporal relationship. Type of
relationship established by experiments
since causes must always precede
effects, but not all prior events are
causes
PSEUDOSCIENCE
Pseudoscience. Any field of study that
gives the appearance of being
scientific, but has no true scientific
basis and has not been confirmed using
the scientific method
Past life regression, reparenting and
rebirthing. Examples of psedosciences