chapter 1 & 2

Question 1

what is science

Answer 1

science is a process for arriving at an answer

Question 2

methods of knowledge

Answer 2

1. intuition
2. authority
3. rationalism
4. empiricism
5. the scientific method

Question 3

intuition - methods of knowledge

Answer 3

• relying on our guts, our emotions, and/or our instincts to guide us/learning
• the problem with relying on intuition is that our intuitions can be wrong because they are driven by cognitive and motivational biases rather than logical reasoning or scientific evidence

Question 4

authority - methods of knowledge

Answer 4

• involves accepting new ideas because some authority figure states that they are true
• history has shown not all authority figures can be trusted

Question 5

rationalism - methods of knowledge

Answer 5

• using logic and reasoning to acquire new knowledge
• the problem with this method is that if the premises are wrong or there is an error in logic then the conclusion will not be valid

Question 6

empiricism - methods of knowledge

Answer 6

• acquiring knowledge through observation and experience
• many visual illusions that trick our senses illustrate the problems with relying on empiricism alone to derive knowledge

Question 7

the scientific method - methods of knowledge

Answer 7

• a process of systematically collecting and evaluating evidence to test ideas and answer questions
• major problems are that it is not always feasible to use the scientific method; this method can require considerable time and resources and that it cannot be used to answer all questions

Question 8

methods of observation

Answer 8

• informal: paying attention as you go through life to learn things; because you aren’t being systematic you may miss things
• selective: selectively choosing things to learn; focussing on specific things, you can miss what does not fall into that realm

Question 9

scientific approach has three fundamental features

Answer 9

1. systematic empiricism
2. empirical questions
3. public knowledge/effort

Question 10

systemic empiricism - scientific approach

Answer 10

refers to learning based on observation, and scientists learn about the natural world systematically, by carefully planning, making, recording, and analyzing observations of it

Question 11

empirical questions - scientific approach

Answer 11

these are questions about the way the world actually is and, therefore, can be answered by systematically observing it

Question 12

public knowledge/effort - scientific approach

Answer 12

• publication of systematic observations, and their conclusions
• essential because science is a social process that can involve large scale collaboration, and that it allowed science to be self-correcting

Question 13

importance of pseudoscience

Answer 13

• learning about pseudoscience helps bring the fundamental features of science and their importance into sharper focus
• many pseudosciences purport to explain some aspect of human behaviour and mental processes, including biorhythms, astrology, graphology (handwriting analysis), and magnet therapy for pain control

Question 14

three goals of science

Answer 14

1. to describe
2. to predict
3. to explain

Question 15

basic research

Answer 15

is conducted primarily for the sake of achieving a more detailed and accurate understanding of human behaviour, without necessarily trying to address any particular practical problem

Question 16

applied research

Answer 16

is conducted primarily to address some practical problem

Question 17

clinical practice of psychology

Answer 17

the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders and related problems

Question 18

empirically supported treatments

Answer 18

• one that has been studied scientifically and shown to result in greater improvement than no treatment, a placebo, or some alternative treatment
• e.g. ACT, CBT, exposure therapy, family-based treatment

Question 19

heuristics

Answer 19

• simple, often effective, rules for forming judgements and making decisions
• mental shortcuts or rules of thumb

Question 20

cognitive economy

Answer 20

idea we want to think easier whenever it is possible

Question 21

availability heuristic

Answer 21

assumption that the most easily available answer is the correct one

Question 22

representativeness heuristic

Answer 22

• assumption it looks right/like an exemplar, so it is right
• based on how we store categories

Question 23

confirmation bias

Answer 23

• tendency to look for information that supports your viewpoint while informing information that challenges it
• part of the scientific method is to fight confirmation bias

Question 24

the file drawer

Answer 24

• publication bias in research
• statistically significant results get published and statistically insignificant results go unpublished which means the majority of knowledge isn’t shared
• creates bias
• research by private corporations can be done in 10 studies and they can choose what results they want to share
• open source publication is the push for all research to be published