Science and Psychology Slides Prepared by Alison L. O’Malley Passer Chapter 1

Door 1 Door 2 Door 3 The Three-Door Problem Stay or switch?

Table 1.1 Feedback Sent to vos Savant Following Her “Switch” Solution to the Three-Door Problem Passer: Research Methods, First Edition © 2014 by Worth Publishers, Macmillan Higher Education

Bases for Beliefs Tenacity Authority Reason Empiricism Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Table 1.2 The Use of Reason: A Logical Analysis of All Possible Outcomes in the Three-Door Problem, When Initially Selecting Door 1 Passer: Research Methods, First Edition © 2014 by Worth Publishers, Macmillan Higher Education

Empiricism: The Building Block of Science Empiricism is essential, but imperfect. Consider the confirmation bias: We find what we want to find and avoid the rest. Yikes!

How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie-roll center of a tootsie pop? See also

Do Ghosts exist?

Goals of Science Description Explanation Prediction Control How do theory and hypothesis-testing fit into each goal?

“Let’s Test Our Theory…” What’s wrong with the statement above? People often misapply the terms “theory” and “hypothesis.” Clarify the distinction between these two fundamental elements of science.

Explanation Since explanation seeks to identify causes, can it be said that explanation is the most important goal of science? What conditions are necessary to make causal inferences?

Causal Inferences Causal inferences are possible when three conditions have been met: 1.Covariation. As X changes, Y changes. 2.Temporal order. Change in X occurs before change in Y. 3.Absence of plausible alternative explanations. Other factors that could have driven the change in Y can be ruled out. X has a causal effect on Y

Explanation ??? Draw a causal model depicting the hypothesized distal and proximal causes of ________.

Three Questions: Do men make better drivers than women? Does personality influence career choice? Are pet owners happier than non pet owners?

The Scientific Method Assumes truth is discoverable Is grounded in systematic empiricism Addresses testable questions Strives for accuracy and objectivity Requires clear definitions and operationism

Falsifiability Can an assertion be disproven?

Operationism What’s “inside” shouldn’t be a mystery… Define concepts clearly and carefully!

Operationism What’s inside shouldn’t be a mystery… Generate an operational definition for STRESS.

Table 1.3 Identifying Empirical and Nonempirical Questions Passer: Research Methods, First Edition © 2014 by Worth Publishers, Macmillan Higher Education

Is science the key to everything?

Science also… Involves public reporting ideally in refereed journals Is tentative, not absolute theories are challenged and refined Is self-correcting operational definitions aid in replication Is but one source of knowledge restricted to empirical questions

Characteristics of Science Why isn’t it appropriate to describe the scientific method as a single method of conducting research? Science

Scientific Research: Basic and Applied An industrial-organizational psychologist examines the relationship between CEO compensation and organizational performance. Is this basic or applied research? Explain.

Basic vs Applied Research

Value of Research Methods Training Research methods are only useful if you want to be a researcher, right? Let’s reconsider… How could mastery of research methods help this recent graduate?

Skepticism Skepticism is an outlook that entails careful evaluation of evidence rather than blind acceptance of claims. Ask critical thinking questions!

Ask Yourself… 1.What claim is being made? 2.What is the source of the claim? 3.Can I gather info about source credibility? 4.What supporting evidence is offered? 5.What is the quality of the evidence? 6.Are there plausible alternative explanations for the findings? 7.Are the interpretations of the findings reasonable? 8.What additional evidence is needed to reach a clearer conclusion? 9.Given the current state of the evidence, what conclusion is most reasonable?