Psychology IS a science! Chapter 1 – Myers Chapter 2 - Barron’s

Why is intuition and common sense limited in psychology? Q1 Should homosexual couples be allowed to marry? Q2 What percentage of Butler students agree with you?

The Limits of common sense and intuition False Consensus Effect- The tendency to believe that more people agree with your viewpoint than they really do? Willy Wonka Q3. Did you probably under or overestimate your answer to Q2? Q4. Why would your estimation on a national level be even farther off?

Limits of Intuition Psychologists found that “opposites attract” Q. Why is this? Q.Were you surprised to hear this? Psychologists found that “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Q.Why is this? Q.Were you surprised to hear this?

Why is intuition and common sense limited in psychology? Hindsight bias –“I knew it all along phenomenon” –The tendency to believe, after learning the outcome, that one would have foreseen it. Ex. Sports reporters talking about who won the game. Ex. Ask people to explain why opposites attract or why “absence makes the heart grow fonder” –This is why it is important to form a hypothesis and scientifically prove something to be true

Limits of intuition and gut instinct Q Who wants a chance to win a dollar? We will scientifically prove either A) better chance of winning if switch B) better chance of winning if stay C) 50/50 chance of winning

Need for psychological Science Intuition, Gut instinct and assumptions cannot be relied upon Examples: go with your gut instinct Empty Nest Syndrome Ex. Sadaam Hussein Ex. $ and Long term Happiness

Psychological scientists are good critical thinkers!! Complete Am I a Critical Thinker? Look at characteristics on back. 1.) Identify Bias- MSNBC, FOX News, talk radio 2) Identify what the person’s agenda may be. 3.) Ask: Where is your evidence? (Ex. Obamacare is going to raise the American Deficit to levels that will cause us to be owned by China

Critical Thinking 4.) Question what the source of information is? Double check the information. (Ex. Internet resources- wikipedia, some people say or confirmed government source. 5.) Distinguish Fact from Opinion- criticism of 24 hour news shows 6.) Understand that correlation does NOT prove causation. (Ex. Fox News watchers and misinformation)

Thinking Critically in Psychology Re: Intro Outfoxed Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on JournalismOutfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism 6:00-14:00- Memos, ex-employees and Shut Up :40- some people say 24:20-29:30- Liberal commentators 83% Repub. 35:00- 43:00- O’Reilly - Glick 49:10- Polls on misinformation.

Strategies in which moveon.org shows their bias. Musical tonality (memos and polls on misinformation) Editing to not show entire context How much tape was used to find the “some people say” and “Shut Up” montages.

“ Last Week This Week” - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 09/07/12 - Video Clip | Comedy Central last 3:00“ Last Week This Week” - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 09/07/12 - Video Clip | Comedy Central Daily Show shows hypocisy of Coverage of 2 different poitical conventions

Kathleen Parker (Conservative Writer) Article criticizing MSNBC “Political Activism posing as journalism is a cancer to the body politic:” While some viewers may be savy enough to understand the difference and choose their medicine accordingly, many are not.

Why is it important to view 24 hour news networks critically Major point is “crisis of critical thinking” when making choices of candidates that are critical to your future. “ Some very smart people are low in critical thinking skills and cannot see this. 24 hours news shows lack in objectivity and are not real news shows. The large majority of their content is opinion OR spin (some would call it psychological manipulation)for one side or the other.

Scientific Method What have you learned about the scientific method prior to this class? –Research/Observation –Form Hypothesis –Conduct Experiment –Draw Conclusions

Scientific Method Theories - an explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations. –Ex. Humidity predicts aggressive behavior Hypotheses are formed from theories. Hypothesis – a testable prediction, states the relationship between two variables. –Ex. In July/August people are more likely to commit aggressive acts.

The importance of defining the variables. Psychologist form operational definitions to keep check on their biases and so that others can replicate their observations Operational definition – a statement of the procedure used to define research variables. –Ex. – Aggression can be defined as number of rapes and murders

Why use operational definitions? Operational Definitions help us achieve the goals of good research. Good research is both reliable and valid. –Valid – (accuracy) the research measures what it set out to measure –Reliable – (consistency) when a study can be replicated

Research Methods Descriptive methods –Goal is to observe and record –Case studies, surveys, naturalistic observation –Detect naturally occurring relationships, assess how one variable affects another. –Cannot draw conclusions of cause and effect Experimental Methods –Explore cause and effect

Descriptive Methods CASE STUDY Case Study - Psychologists study one individual in depth in hopes to reveal things true of us all. –Ex. Studying an individual that damaged a certain part of the brain. Compare behaviors and abilities before the accident to those after the accident. –How can case studies be misleading? An individual may be atypical Personal experience may be exaggerated Depends on experimenter's interpretation

Case of Phineas Gage Gage was a worker for a railroad company. On Sept. 13, 1848 an accidental explosion blew an iron rod through his head. The iron was 3 ft. 7 in. long and weighed over 13 lbs. The rod entered into his left cheek bone and exited from the top of his head landing about 30 yards behind Gage.

Gage (cont.) Gage regained consciousness within minutes and was able to speak. Gage suffered massive frontal lobe damage. Gage’s memory and mental abilities were unchanged but his personality changed dramatically. (Gage was easy going before the accident and became irritable and unpredictable following the accident.) Stabbed in the brain

Descriptive Methods SURVEY Survey: Obtaining self reported attitudes and behaviors Surveys look at many cases in less depth Goal of the survey is to question a random sample.

SURVEY Sampling –Subjects: participants in the research –Sampling: process by which subjects are selected –Sample: Group of subjects. The goal is for the sample to be representative of the larger population (aka generalizable). –Population: all the cases in a group from which samples may be drawn for a study –Random Sample: a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has a chance of inclusion.

SURVEY Random Sampling The best way to create a random sample is through computer generated lists, a table of random numbers, or picking names from a hat. Ex. I sit in front of Wal-Mart on a Friday morning and walk up to people at random asking them to participate in a survey. What is wrong with this method? Why is it NOT random? Ex. I randomly pick every third table in the cafeteria to participate? Ex. I survey the 1 st 5 people that enter the classroom.

SURVEY Sampling Stratified Sample - allows the researcher to ensure that the sample represents the population. –Ex. A population of 1,000 students. 650 are female and 350 are male. Then in my sample of 100 students I would want 65 females and 35 males. I could divide the subgroups of male and female and then select 65 and then 35 students from those groups at random.

SURVEY Forming a Hypothesis When conducting a survey, it is important for experimenters to still form their hypothesis. Why? –False consensus effect: the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors. Ex. As a lover of music I tend to think more people love music like I do than they really do

The Limitations of Surveys How are surveys limited in the data they produce? –Depending on self-reports Activity: Question wording Wording of Surveys must be done correctly for the research to be valid and reliable.

Importance of Wording of Surveys Q. Should cigarette Ads not be allowed on TV? - change to forbidden or censoring?- what happens to results 27% are in favor of government censorship of media sex, violence 66% are in favor of more restrictions of what is shown on TV.

Wording of Surveys Aid to the needy v. government handouts. Death Panels vs. end of life counseling. Revenue enhancers v. taxes. Prohibiting abortion v. protecting the life of the unborn child. 77% plants/trees, 39% botany. 42% rocks and minerals, 60% geology.

Wording of Surveys Q. Public Affairs Act of 2012? Q More exciting to watch Tennis or Soccer? Q More exciting to watch Soccer or Tennis?

Descriptive Methods NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION Naturalistic Observation - watching, observing, and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation. Ex. Concord Mills Mall at UNCC Ex. Sociologist and NYC gangs Naturalistic Observation describes behavior … it does no explain it. –Ex. Watching animal behavior, observing parent child interaction, recording shopper tendencies as they enter the store, observing the interactions on an elevator

Assignment Naturalistic Observation in the cafeteria –Naturalistic Observation describes behavior, it does not explain behavior. –Observe the behavior of others during lunch in the cafeteria. –Come up with their own aspect to observe. (Seat selections by race or food choices by sex are some obvious behaviors to observe). –Record your observations. –Maintain confidentiality. –Explain what you are doing, if asked by teachers or other students. –Report findings the next class period.