Please pick up notes and T/F WS from the baskets on the front table

The Scientific Method

Do you consider psychology a science? Do you consider psychology a helpful tool or is relying on past experiences and intuition just as effective to help you solve problems with others or with yourself?

Right half of the class, close your eyes… How many murders occurred in Michigan last year?

Left half of the class, close your eyes How many murders occurred in Detroit last year?

How many murders occurred in Michigan last year? 598

How many murders occurred in Detroit last year? 303 

Examples of when our intuition fails us Hindsight bias: Claiming we “knew it all along” “You did a study on something my grandmother had been preaching for years” Football games: we credit the coach for a gusty play if the team wins OR we blame the coach for “risky and stupid” plays if the team loses Which is the true statement? “Birds of a feather flock together” “Opposites attract”

Examples of when our intuition fails us Overconfidence Tendency to think we are better at something than we actually are… How fast do you think you could unscramble these words? WREAT (Water) ETRYN (Entry)

Overconfidence How fast can you unscramble these two? OCHSA GRABE Have you ever looked at a study guide for a test and convinced yourself you know the material only to fail the actual test? Did you know the material or did you recognize the material and become overconfident in your knowledge of the material?

When folk wisdom fails us… "Cold hands, warm heart." Cold hands, poor circulation. See your physician. "Familiarity breeds contempt." People tend to like what's familiar. Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199711/folk- wisdom-was-grandma-right

When folk wisdom is correct… "Practice makes perfect." Even brain-injured people can often learn new material with sufficient repetition.“ "Once bitten, twice shy." Behind almost every dog or cat phobia, there's a bite or scratch. Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199711/folk-wisdom- was-grandma-right

How do we determine which is true and which is false? The scientific method!

Example of the Scientific Method… Observation: My toaster isn’t turning on Question: Is something wrong with my electrical outlet? Hypothesis: If something is wrong with the outlet, my coffeemaker also won’t work when plugged into it. Experiment: I plug my coffeemaker into the outlet. Result: My coffeemaker works! Conclusion: My electrical outlet works, but my toaster still won’t toast my bread. Refine the hypothesis: My toaster is broken. Repeat the process until the exact cause of the broken toaster is determined Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/the-scientific-method/

The Scientific Method in Psychology Observation: Patients on one antipsychotic are more willing to be compliant with their treatment than patients on another antipsychotic drug Question: Why are patients more willing to take one drug than the other? Hypothesis: There are unpleasant side effects of one antipsychotic Experiment: Survey patients: Ask how their meds make them feel Result: One drug is produces nausea in patients more frequently than the other drug Conclusion: Patients avoid taking the drug to prevent nausea Refine the hypothesis: There are steps to take to prevent nausea from occurring when taking the drug

The Scientific Method and Psychology Psychology is largely considered a social science because of the subjective nature of the things it studies Humans emotions and behavior are difficult to directly measure Often “sadness” “anger” are quantified on scales of 1-10 in psychological research, but since the data is self-reported or behaviors are observed, its ability to be exact is compromised Therefore, the scientific method is extremely important in psychological research because it helps to standardize data over many studies

Psychology as a science Most psychologists are trained to use empirical research in order to treat clients or to continue their own research The scientific method is used heavily in psychology Even though the data psychologists obtain are sometimes subjective, the ways in which they obtain the data are as objective as possible

Review: The Scientific Method 1.) Make observations 2.) Form a hypothesis (TESTABLE prediction or educated guess based on observations) 3.) Perform an experiment 4.) Analyze the results 5.) Form a conclusion 6.) Refine hypothesis and start over 

Do you know your astrological sign? What are some assumptions made about what sign you were born in? What is a hypothesis we can test about astrological signs?

DO NOT WRITE ON HANDOUT Pick up the correct handout from the baskets (the one that corresponds to your birthday) Read each set of personality traits and choose which one best describes you. Write the letter on a sheet of paper

Astrological Signs…Does your assessment match? A: Cancer (June 22-July 22) B: Taurus (April 20-May 20) C: Gemini (May 21-June 21) D: Virgo (August 23-September 22) E: Aries (March 21-April 19) F: Leo (July 23-August 22) G: Pisces (February 19-March 20) H: Scorpio (October 23-November 21) I: Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) J: Aquarius (January 20-February 18) K: Libra (September 23-October 22) L: Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

Issues with this experiment… How reliable is it to use your own assessment of your personality? Did you select certain traits because they were socially desirable? Did you select certain traits because you already knew it was describing your sign?

Other Issues with this experiment… Everyone has a 1 in 6 (16.6%) chance of selecting the correct sign If everyone had a 1 in 12 (8.3%) chance of selecting the correct answer, the results would be more significant

Refine our hypothesis… Find THREE other people to read the REAL traits of your astrological sign and ask if they agree Best two out of three Two ‘yes’ and one ‘no’ = yes Two ‘no’ and one ‘yes’ = no

Problems with astrology What is the phenomenon called when you claim you “knew it all along” after something happens? How do daily horoscopes help the confirmation bias seem legitimate?