Research Designs and The Astonishing Hypothesis Flashcards
Who did and what was the research on money and happiness?
Elizabeth Dunn “Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness” (2008)
How was happiness defined in the study?
Not sure, but operationally defined
Participant Demand
Participant of study acts in a way different to normal, knowing that they’re part of the experiment
Experimenter Expectation
The experimenter has results influenced by what they expect to occur
3 Types of Qualitative Studies
Participant Observation, Case Study, Narrative Analysis
Quasi-Experimental Studies
Analysis of existing studies with independent/dependent variables to form conclusions
What was the story of Phineas Gage?
1848; Cleared rocks by explosion in order to lay tracks, and an iron shot behind his left eye into his brain. He lost consciousness for a while, but physically recovered months later. However, his personality changed 180 degrees as he became child-like.
The Astonishing Hypothesis
Francis Crick (1994) - You are no more than a bunch of cells. The mind is the brain. Consciousness is physical.
Dualism
The mind is separate to the brain. Material and spiritual exist.
What was Rene Descartes’ two reasons for Dualism?
1) The complex creativity of human action that can’t be replicated by machines. 2) “I think, therefore I am.” There’s one thing that can’t be doubted, and that’s the existence of consciousness outside of body.
What problems does Dualism have?
1) It doesn’t answer important questions. Leaving it up to a mysterious part outside of physical world doesn’t help explain how it works.
2) Physical machines are getting better, and one day might be just as complex as humans
3) The brain plays a role in mental life
4) fMRI scans can show what people are thinking/dreaming
