Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a key reason for relying on scientific methods in psychology?
What is a key reason for relying on scientific methods in psychology?
Which term describes the tendency to overlook disconfirming evidence while seeking confirming evidence?
Which term describes the tendency to overlook disconfirming evidence while seeking confirming evidence?
How is 'science' defined in the context of psychology?
How is 'science' defined in the context of psychology?
What is the primary focus of psychological science?
What is the primary focus of psychological science?
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What is a limitation of commonsense psychology?
What is a limitation of commonsense psychology?
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What aspect of scientific methodology aids in establishing cause and effect?
What aspect of scientific methodology aids in establishing cause and effect?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of modern science?
Which of the following is a characteristic of modern science?
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What does the term 'nonscientific sources of data' refer to?
What does the term 'nonscientific sources of data' refer to?
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What is the primary focus of the objective known as description in psychological research?
What is the primary focus of the objective known as description in psychological research?
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Which psychological objective involves knowing in advance when certain behaviors are expected to occur?
Which psychological objective involves knowing in advance when certain behaviors are expected to occur?
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What does the objective of explanation in psychological research primarily involve?
What does the objective of explanation in psychological research primarily involve?
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Which of the following is true regarding the objective of control in psychological research?
Which of the following is true regarding the objective of control in psychological research?
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In psychological research, what does applied research aim to achieve?
In psychological research, what does applied research aim to achieve?
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What limitation do findings obtained by only one researcher typically have?
What limitation do findings obtained by only one researcher typically have?
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What is the relationship between grief and the death of a grandparent according to psychological prediction?
What is the relationship between grief and the death of a grandparent according to psychological prediction?
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Why is replication important in psychological research?
Why is replication important in psychological research?
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What is the phenomenon called where our predictions and judgments feel more correct than they truly are?
What is the phenomenon called where our predictions and judgments feel more correct than they truly are?
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What term describes the belief that there are specific causes for human behavior that can be discovered through research?
What term describes the belief that there are specific causes for human behavior that can be discovered through research?
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Which philosopher's works are traced as the beginnings of modern science, according to the text?
Which philosopher's works are traced as the beginnings of modern science, according to the text?
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What is one of the primary assumptions that underpin the psychologist's goal of prediction?
What is one of the primary assumptions that underpin the psychologist's goal of prediction?
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What key method is used by scientists to gather and verify information?
What key method is used by scientists to gather and verify information?
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Aristotle believed that heavy objects fall faster than light objects due to their 'natural' place being down. What aspect of scientific inquiry does this illustrate?
Aristotle believed that heavy objects fall faster than light objects due to their 'natural' place being down. What aspect of scientific inquiry does this illustrate?
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Why are inferential biases like overconfidence bias considered as shortcuts in human information processing?
Why are inferential biases like overconfidence bias considered as shortcuts in human information processing?
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According to Alfred North Whitehead, what is essential to the practice of science?
According to Alfred North Whitehead, what is essential to the practice of science?
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What type of research is aimed at testing theories or explaining psychological phenomena?
What type of research is aimed at testing theories or explaining psychological phenomena?
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Which tool in psychological science involves systematically noting and recording observable events?
Which tool in psychological science involves systematically noting and recording observable events?
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What must be true for an experiment to be conducted scientifically?
What must be true for an experiment to be conducted scientifically?
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What do antecedent conditions refer to in psychological experiments?
What do antecedent conditions refer to in psychological experiments?
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What is the purpose of comparing different treatment conditions in an experiment?
What is the purpose of comparing different treatment conditions in an experiment?
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What distinguishes basic research from applied research?
What distinguishes basic research from applied research?
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In experimentation, what does the term 'treatment' specifically refer to?
In experimentation, what does the term 'treatment' specifically refer to?
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Which requirement is NOT necessary for conducting an experiment?
Which requirement is NOT necessary for conducting an experiment?
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Who is generally credited as the first experimental psychologist?
Who is generally credited as the first experimental psychologist?
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In what year was the first psychology laboratory opened in the United States?
In what year was the first psychology laboratory opened in the United States?
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Which of the following practices was considered a pseudoscience in the 1800s?
Which of the following practices was considered a pseudoscience in the 1800s?
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What philosophical basis was early academic psychology in the United States associated with?
What philosophical basis was early academic psychology in the United States associated with?
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What does the term 'pseudoscience' imply?
What does the term 'pseudoscience' imply?
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What method did Wundt employ to study human sensory experiences?
What method did Wundt employ to study human sensory experiences?
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Which concept involved measuring the size and location of skull bumps?
Which concept involved measuring the size and location of skull bumps?
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What view did mental philosophers share regarding the human mind?
What view did mental philosophers share regarding the human mind?
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What was believed to result from overuse of faculties in phrenology?
What was believed to result from overuse of faculties in phrenology?
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In physiognomy, which facial feature was thought to indicate fear?
In physiognomy, which facial feature was thought to indicate fear?
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What did mesmerism claim could be cured by realigning bodily fluids?
What did mesmerism claim could be cured by realigning bodily fluids?
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What finding did the commission led by Benjamin Franklin conclude about Mesmer's claims?
What finding did the commission led by Benjamin Franklin conclude about Mesmer's claims?
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What was a major influence on the popularity of spiritualism following the Civil War?
What was a major influence on the popularity of spiritualism following the Civil War?
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In which period did spiritualism experience a brief resurgence after World War I?
In which period did spiritualism experience a brief resurgence after World War I?
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What aspect of spiritualism was strongly opposed by organized religions?
What aspect of spiritualism was strongly opposed by organized religions?
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What was a recurring outcome for phrenology clients advised to curb overused faculties?
What was a recurring outcome for phrenology clients advised to curb overused faculties?
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Study Notes
Experimental Psychology and the Scientific Method
- Psychology is the science of behavior. Psychologists use scientific evidence gathered through research.
- Science has two meanings: content (facts or knowledge) and process (methods for gathering data, identifying relationships, and offering explanations).
Topics Covered
- Need for scientific methodology
- Characteristics of modern science
- Objectives of psychological science
- Scientific method: tools of psychological science
- Scientific explanation in psychological science
- From pseudoscience to psychological science
Objectives
- Understand why scientific methods are used instead of common sense to explain behavior
- Understand the principles of the scientific method
- Learn the basic tools of psychological research
- Understand how "cause-and-effect" is determined through experimentation.
Psychology as a Science
- Psychology is the science of behavior, established on accumulated scientific evidence through research.
- The word "science" comes from the Latin word scientia, meaning knowledge
- Modern usage of "science" encompasses both the content (facts and knowledge) and the process (methods used to gather information).
The Need for Scientific Methodology
- Everyday, nonscientific data gathering shapes expectations and beliefs, influencing behavior; this is called "common sense psychology."
- Nonscientific data sources (friends, family, media, etc.) may not be accurate and can be influenced by biases.
- Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms existing beliefs, while ignoring contradictory evidence.
- The belief that the full moon influences behavior is an example of this bias.
Nonscientific Sources of Data
- Sources that seem credible can present inaccurate information about behavior.
- Individuals with high status, perceived expertise, or confidence are more persuasive than others are perceived to be.
The Power of Negative Thinking
- Friday the 13th is often viewed as an unlucky day, but research shows no evidence of any negative influence on human behavior.
- The high number of car accident emergency room visits on Friday the 13th is more the result of increased driver anxiety than on any mystical ill omen.
- Studies of driver anxiety and increased risk-taking are relevant in an experimental context.
Nonscientific Inference
- People frequently overestimate the accuracy of their intuitive explanations of behavior, a phenomenon known as the 'overconfidence bias.'
- Overconfidence is not the same as good judgment.
- The accuracy of inferential predictions about others improves when people know them better, but good judgment does not always follow this pattern.
The Scientific Method: Tools of Psychological Science
- Observation is a carefully systematic method for recording events. Only observable events can be studied scientifically.
- Measurement is the assignment of numerical values to characteristics of events under observation.
- Experimentation is an approach for testing hypotheses. A controlled setting allows researchers to manipulate aspects of the environment to produce a specific behavior and test whether or not that behavior predictably follows from the manipulated aspects.
Scientific Explanation in Psychological Science
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Identifying antecedent conditions: Antecedent conditions are conditions preceding the events that need to be explained.
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Comparing treatment conditions: comparing different treatment conditions allows for a scientific assessment
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Experimentation is a controlled process to verify or falsify hypotheses, involving manipulation of variables and measuring their effect.
- Two major experimental methodologies are used
-between subjects design (different subjects receive different treatments)
- within subjects design (the same subjects receive all treatments)
- Two major experimental methodologies are used
-between subjects design (different subjects receive different treatments)
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Establishing cause and effect: within an experimental context, cause and effect is established reliably through careful observation. Cause is always prior to effect.
From Pseudoscience to Psychological Science
- Psychology as an experimental discipline emerged in Germany in the late 1800s.
- Wilhelm Wundt is credited as the “father of experimental psychology.”
- The scientific method is used in psychology to test hypotheses regarding human sensory and perceptual tasks as well as psychological concepts.
- Historical methodologies (e.g., phrenology, mesmerism, spiritualism) were employed that have not held up to scientific scrutiny.
Objectives of Psychological Science
- Description, prediction, explanation, and control are the four major objectives of psychological research.
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Description
Explore the fundamentals of experimental psychology and the scientific method in this comprehensive quiz. Understand the necessity of scientific methodologies in psychology, learn about the characteristics of modern science, and delve into the principles that underpin psychological research. Test your knowledge on the transition from pseudoscience to a structured scientific approach.
