Exam 1: chapters 1-4 Flashcards
(54 cards)
Authority (as a way of knowing)
we rely on authority as a source of knowledge whenever we accept the validity of information from a source that we judge to be expert or influential in some way
reason and logic as a way of knowing (the priori method)
charles peirce defines the priori method as use of reason, and a developed consensus among those debating the merits of one belief over another
Empiricism (as a way of knowing)
empiricism is the process of learning things through direct observation or experience, and reflection on those experiences
problem: experiences are limited and our interpretation of experiences are influenced by social cognition biases
confirmation bias
confirmation bias is the social cognition bias describing the tendency to seek and pay special attention to information that supports ones beliefs, while ignoring information that contradicts one’s beliefs
belief perseverance
one is motivated by a desire to be certain about ones knowledge, and belief perseverance is the tendency to hold on doggedly to a belief, even in the face of evidence that would convince most people that the belief is false
availability heuristic
this is when we experience unusual or very memorable events and then overestimate how often such events occur
some students think that they should never change their answers on a multiple choice test. what does this have to do with availability heuristic?
when students change their answers and happen to get the item wrong (which is statistically less likely compared to changing and getting it right) the outcome sticks out in their memory because it is painful (loss of grade points) This is an example of availability heuristic
meaning of determinism (because researchers assume determinism and discoverability)
determinism means that events, including psychological ones, have causes. determineable causes
meaning of discoverability (because researchers assume determinism and discoverability)
discoverability means that by using agreed-upon scientific methods, causes causes can be discovered with some degree of confidence
statistical (probablistic) determinism
a more moderate approach arguing that events can be predicted, but only with a probability greater than chance. (approach used by research psychologists)
what does a scientists systematic observation include?
- precise definitions of phenomena being measured
- reliable and valid measuring tools that yield useful and interpretable data
- generally accepted research methodologies
- a system of logic for drawing conclusions and fitting them into general theories
objectivity is an important characteristic of science as a way of knowing. how is objectivity defined
scientific procedures result in knowledge that can be publicly verified. peirce defines objectivity as the elimination of human factors such as expectation an bias
replication
is the process of repeating a study to determine if its results occur reliably
introspection
an early method in psychological research which consistently varied from one laboratory to another (basically a precise self-report) introspection was when participants in experiments would describe their conscious experiences
researchers are data driven (attribute of science as a way of knowing)
research psychologists expect conclusions about behavior to be supported by evidence gathered through some systematic procedure. (importance of data based conclusions)
empirical question
those that can be answered through systematic observations and techniques that characterize scientific methodology. questions that are precise enough to allow specific predictions to be made.
example of an empirical question
investigating the bodys influence on mental states by asking
how physical fatigue affects performance on some task.
distinction of a hypothesis from an empirical question
a hypothesis is a predication of a studies outcome. a hypothesis is the best guess of the answer to an empirical question. a hypothesis is a statement (rather than a question) about what a scientist thinks may occur in a particular situation.
example of a hypothesis
because students experience high levels of stress during final exam week, they will be more likely to become ill if they are exposed to a virus than students not exposed to a virus
hypotheses sometimes develop as logical deductions from a theory. what is a theory?
a theory is a set of statements that summarize what is known about some phenomena and propose working explanations for those phenomena.
a critically important attribute of a good theory is that…
it must be precise enough to be refuted. this concept is referred to as falsification
why is it a good idea to take a research methods course before taking more specific psychology courses?
to provide a solid foundation for understanding findings in your field of interest (scores in methodology courses are good overall predictors for knowledge gained in undergrad courses. also it is important that you are able to understand the process used to acquire the content of those courses. knowing the knowledge gained from research is not as valuable if the method of knowledge attainment is unknown.
how can everyone benefit from using the attributes of scientific thinking?
by being more critical and analytical about the information we are exposed to every day.
what are the short comings of authority as a way of knowing?
there is always a possibility that authority has incomplete knowledge or is bias. a good critical thinker is willing to question authority