Need for Psychological Science Many people believe that intuition and common sense are enough to bring forth answers regarding human nature. Intuition and common sense may aid queries, but they are not free of error. Obj: Why are the answers that flow from the scientific approach more reliable than those based on intuition and common sense? 1st: Should humans trust their intuition, or should we be skeptical of our gut feelings? Activity to demonstrate : On a sheet of paper, write your name. Then, write the score (percentage) you think you will receive on the next test- for this unit. Than, on a scale of 1-10, rate how confident you are that your prediction will be correct (10 being really confident). Although intuition is important, we often underestimate the perils of it - Many psychological findings seem like common sense; however, there are many examples of “common sense” ideas that have been overturned by the research (such as the myth that we only use 10% of our brains)

After Amy Winehouse died my brother said he always knew she was going to die young. Did he really? “I knew it all along” phenomenon Monday Morning Quarterbacking

Examples Overconfidence “There is no reason for anyone to have a computer in their home.” - Olson, 1977 “Man will never reach the moon, regardless of all future scientific advances.” – 1957 “Ronald Reagan doesn’t have the presidential look.” – 1964 director. “A severe depression like that of 1920-21 is outside the range of possibility.” – 1929 Predictions on your quizzes/test?

Critical Thinking Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Examines assumptions assesses the sources, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assess conclusion Skepticism- Monty Python, Salem Witch Trials Little girl asked to leave KFC due to facial scars Kentucky Fried Hoax The Barnum Effect

Scientific Method Observe some aspect of the universe. Formulate a question. Invent a theory (hypothesis) that is consistent with what you have observed. Use the theory to make predictions. Test those predictions by experiments or further observations. Results Draw conclusions Replication

Theory and Hypothesis https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=R56gU1-Nmgg Theories –explains behaviors or events by offering ideas that organize what we have observed Good theories give direction to research by generating testable predictions… hypotheses Ex: “Imagine that we observe over and over that people w/good sleep habits tend to answer questions correctly in class, and they do well at test time. We might therefore theorize that sleep improves memory.” Hypotheses- testable predictions; often implied by a theory Expresses a relationship between two variables. Must be testable, verifiable, and refutable Example: Participating in class leads to better grades than not participating.

Must Operationalize the Hypothesis! Who is smiling? Must Operationalize the Hypothesis! Psychology 7e in Modules

Example of operational definitions What makes a smile??? operational definition of a Smile , and that in order to accurately test the hypothesis, Smile needs to be operationally defined.

Operational Definitions Precise description of how the variable in a study will be manipulated & measured Specify the procedures used to define and measure research variables Explain what you mean in your hypothesis. How will the variables be measured in “real life” terms. To help people REPLICATE studies researchers report them using precise operational definitions Let’s say your hypothesis is that chocolate causes violent behavior. What do you mean by chocolate? What do you mean by violent behavior?

Ways to “prove” research Replication – repetition of a test or modifying an existing method to further prove research data.