PSY 3300
Behavioral Research
Methods
Instructor:
Dr. Cynthia Pietras
Why is it important to learn about
research methods?
1. Learn how to do research
a) Be able to help people
b) Doing research is fun!
Science is 4 great jobs:
1) It’s being a detective – finding causes
2) It’s being an artist – creating new things and breaking new
ground
3) It’s being an adventurer – discovering new things
4) It’s being a storyteller – sharing your discoveries with others
(Lou Guillette)
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Write your responses:
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"What one thing in your life, if you could
change it today, would have the most
immediate and profound positive impact
in your life?"
"What one thing in the world, if you could
change it today, would have the most
immediate and profound positive impact
on humankind?"
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Why is it important to learn about
research methods?
2. Better understanding of psychology
3. Be able to read and evaluate research articles
4. Become more marketable in psychology and elsewhere
5. Develop your critical thinking skills:
a) Understand the process of science
b) Be able to distinguish between science and pseudoscience
c) Protect yourself from being duped – be skeptical
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What is skepticism and critical
thinking?
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Skepticism – being unwilling to accept
information as true without confirming
evidence.
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Always ask,“Where’s the evidence?”
Critical thinking – acquiring information on
an issue and carefully, objectively, and
thoroughly, evaluating information before
making a decision or coming to a conclusion
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Pseudoscience: definition and
some characteristics
Pseudoscience – a set of practices or beliefs about
phenomena that are presented as if they were scientific
but that are not based on scientific research.
Characteristics:
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Reliance on case studies, testimonials (anecdotal
evidence), not well controlled studies
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Studies that do not demonstrate the phenomenon are
disregarded
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Explanations cannot be disproved or falsified
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Oversimplification of complex phenomena
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Pseudoscience: examples
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Palmistry, crystal ball and
tarot card reading
Astrology
Healing magnets
ESP
Lucky streaks
Psychics, prophets,
channeling
Déjà vu experiences
Ghosts, poltergeists
Alien abductions
Disasters occurring in 3 s
Bermuda Triangle
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Belief that more crimes
occur under a full moon
Belief that infertile
couples are more likely to
conceive after they adopt
Facilitated communication
Repressed memories
Miracle diets
Loch Ness Monster
Unlucky “13”
Body-typing and
personality
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Some detrimental consequences of
failing to engage in critical
thinking/skepticism:
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Loss of money
More effective practices may be ignored
Slow the development of more effective practices
Harm to people, other species, and the environment
Manipulation of people
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Some beneficial consequences of
skeptical thinking and the scientific
approach:
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Adoption of more effective technologies
More informed decision making
Better understanding of natural processes
Better prediction and control of events in our
environment
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Critical thinking, skepticism, and
science in psychology:
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Applying the scientific method to behavioral phenomena
is particularly important because we are all “experts”
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We are surrounded by explanations of human behavior
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We form conclusions about behavior based on our own
experiences (but they may be incorrect) – common sense
may not be right.
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Approaches to behavior are embedded in our language
and verbal practices
To determine the causes of behavior, we must therefore take
a scientific approach
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“The real purpose of [the] scientific method
is to make sure Nature hasn’t misled you
into thinking you know something you
actually don’t know”
R. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
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Common sense “truths”
Look before you leap
He who hesitates is lost
Absence makes the heart grow Out of sight, out of mind
fonder
Haste makes waste
The early bird gets the worm
Two heads are better than one
Too many cooks spoil the broth
Better to be safe than sorry
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Opposites attract
Birds of a feather flock together
Never put off until tomorrow
what you can do today
Cross that bridge when you come
to it
Face on Mars
A 1976 Viking 1 photograph
of the Face on Mars.
A 1998 photo from the Mars
Global Surveyor
A 2001 photo from the Mars
Global Surveyor that
reveals the true
appearance of the Face.
Images from www. science.nasa.gov
“Cognitive” Biases
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognit
ive_biases
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Goals of course:
• provide an overview of the methods of science
• show how the scientific method is used in
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behavioral research
encourage skepticism and teach you how to
become a critical research consumer
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Pseudoscience Assignment
(see Assignment description for more details)
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Over the next few days, pay attention to what you hear on
the TV or radio, read in books, newspapers, magazines, or
the internet, or hear in conversations.
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Find one example of pseudoscience (a claim not supported
by evidence that takes the form of a scientific fact).
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In one page (typed and double-spaced) summarize the claim
and describe why it is pseudoscience.
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Make sure you cite where the example came from, and
staple it to the page if possible.
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