Psychology 200

Module 2

•          Thinking Critically with Psychological Science

The Need for Psychological Science

FAQS About Psychology

•          Impression of Psychology

Hoping to satisfy curiosity, many people listen to talk-radio counselors and psychics to know about others and themselves.

•          The Need for Psychological Science

Intuition & Common Sense

•          Limits of Intuition

Personal interviewers tend to be overconfident of their “gut feelings” about job applicants.

•          Errors of Common Sense

•          Hindsight Bias

Hindsight Bias is the “I-knew-it-all-along” phenomenon.

We tend to believe, after learning about an outcome, that we would have foreseen it. We knew that the dot.com stocks would plummet, only after they did.

•          Overconfidence

We tend to think we know more than we actually do.

•          Psychological Science

  1. How can we differentiate between uninformed opinions and examined conclusions?
  2. The science of psychology can help make these examined conclusions, which lead to our understanding what people feel, think, act, as they do!

•          The Scientific Attitude

•          Critical Thinking

Critical thinking does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions.

It examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, assesses conclusions.

•          Scientific Method

Psychologists, like all scientists, use the scientific method to construct theories that organize, summarize and simplify observations.

Let’s take a look at how this might work

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GUQUqV0_PTc

•          Theory

Theory is an explanation that integrates principles, organizes and predicts behaviors or events.

For example, low self-esteem contributes to depression.

•          Hypothesis

Hypothesis is a testable prediction, often induced by a theory, to enable us to accept, reject or revise the theory.

People with low self-esteem are apt to feel more depressed.

•          Research Observations

Research would require us to administer tests of self esteem and depression to people. Individuals who score low on self-esteem measures and high on depression tests, would confirm our hypothesis.

•          Research Process

•          FAQ

Q1. Can laboratory experiments illuminate everyday life?

Ans: Artificial laboratory conditions are created to study behavior in simplistic terms. The goal is to find underlying principles that govern behavior.

•          FAQ

Q2. Does behavior depend on one’s culture?

Ans: Even when specific attitudes and behaviors vary across cultures, as they often do, the underlying processes are much the same.

•          FAQ

Q3. Does behavior vary with gender?

Ans: Yes. Biology determines our sex, and then culture further bends the genders. Yet in many ways women and men are similarly human.

•          FAQ

Q4. Why do psychologists study animals?

Ans: Study of animals gives us understanding of many behaviors that may have common biology across animals and humans.

•          FAQ

Q5. Is it ethical to experiment on animals?

Ans: Yes. To gain insights to devastating and fatal diseases. All researchers who deal with animal research are required to follow ethical guidelines in caring for these animals.

•          FAQ

Q6. Is it ethical to experiment on people?

Ans: Yes. Experiments that do not involve any kind of physical or psychological harm that is beyond normal levels encountered in daily life can be carried out.

•          FAQ

Q7. Is psychology free of value judgments?

Ans: No. Psychology emerges from people who subscribe to a set of values and judgments.

•          FAQ

Q8. Is psychology potentially dangerous?

Ans: It can be, but it is not. The purpose of psychology is to help humanity with its problems, like war, hunger, prejudice, crime, family dysfunction, etc.