Stanovich Chapter 4 Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is a case study?

An investigation that looks intensely and in detail at a single individual or a very small number of individuals.

When can case studies be useful?

In the early stages of the investigation of certain problems as indicators of which variables deserve more intensive study.

When are case studies not useful?

In the mature stages of theory testing.

Why are case studies sometimes not useful?

They cannot be used as confirming or disconfirming evidence as they are isolated events that lack the comparative information necessary to rule out alternative explanations. Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the limitations of Freud's work?

It was all based on case studies. Signup and view all the answers

What are some problems with relying on testimonials and case studies?

There are testimonials to support virtually every therapy, and the isolated demonstration of a phenomenon may be highly misleading. Signup and view all the answers

What is the placebo effect?

The tendency of people to report that any treatment has helped them, regardless of whether it had a real therapeutic element or not. Signup and view all the answers

What must all new studies of medical procedures include?

Controls for placebo effects. Signup and view all the answers

What is used in place of a placebo group in research on drug therapies?

The best currently known agent for the condition. Signup and view all the answers

In what type of studies is it often difficult to determine exactly how to treat the placebo control group?

Psychotherapy effectiveness. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of how powerful placebo effects can be?

Reports of people becoming addicted to placebos. Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of physicians report that they deliberately prescribe placebos?

50% Signup and view all the answers

What are most therapeutic treatments a combination of?

An active therapeutic component and a placebo effect. Signup and view all the answers

How can placebos be harmful?

Patients can become dependent on non-scientific practitioners, it makes it harder to know the efficacy of an intervention, people may assume the patient's problem was imaginary, and they may impede true scientific progress. Signup and view all the answers

What renders testimonials useless as evidence?

Placebo effects. Signup and view all the answers

What is spontaneous remission?

Improvement from a condition caused by the mere passage of time. Signup and view all the answers

What are some prime examples of conditions that have periods of exacerbation and remission?

Arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Signup and view all the answers

What is the vividness effect?

The tendency to retrieve from memory the information that seems relevant to the situation at hand when faced with a problem-solving or decision-making situation. Signup and view all the answers

What does the vividness effect make more likely to occur?

Using facts that are more accessible to solve a problem or make a decision. Signup and view all the answers

What is the most vivid/compelling information for humans?

A sincere personal testimony that something has occurred or is true. Signup and view all the answers

What is the problem with the vividness of personal testimony?

It often overshadows other information of much higher reliability. Signup and view all the answers

What happened as a result of 9/11?

Travel by airlines decreased, and people switched to automobile travel. Signup and view all the answers

What was a consequence of people switching to automobile travel?

More people died as it is more dangerous. Signup and view all the answers

What would have to happen for flying to be as dangerous as driving?

An incident on the scale of 9/11 would have to occur once a month. Signup and view all the answers

What is the real cause of Cornell's reputation as a high suicide school?

The suicides that occur cause a lot of drama and disruption as they usually involve jumping off of bridges near the school. Signup and view all the answers

What effects how scientific research is evaluated?

The vividness of the presentation of results. Signup and view all the answers

What is the problem with presenting information with just numbers?

People tend to be more moved by images. Signup and view all the answers

Why must humans as a society overcome the tendency to not believe numbers?

Most of the complex influences on our society can only be accurately captured by numbers. Signup and view all the answers

How do psychological instructors try to fight the vividness of testimonials?

By using vividness. Signup and view all the answers

Who is James Randi?

A magician and jack-of-all-trades who exposes the fraud surrounding claims of psychic abilities. Signup and view all the answers

What is James Randi best known for?

Exposing Uri Geller. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Uri Geller?

A psychic superstar of the 1970s. Signup and view all the answers

What is the P.T. Barnum effect?

The vast majority of individuals will endorse generalized personality summaries as accurate and specific descriptions of themselves. Signup and view all the answers

What is the basis of belief in the accuracy of palm readers and astrologists?

The Barnum effect. Signup and view all the answers

What is the problem with people who are affected by the Barnum effect?

Few spontaneously realize that most other people would find the description to be indicative of themselves. Signup and view all the answers

Is presenting a testimonial in support of a particular claim useful?

False Signup and view all the answers

How is the prevalence of pseudoscience harmful?

It has opportunity costs, it can affect people even if they don't believe in it, and it is a lucrative business. Signup and view all the answers

What are opportunity costs?

Using time to do one thing takes away the opportunity to do something else. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a way pseudoscience can affect people if they don't believe in it themselves?

Small groups of people with pseudoscientific beliefs have pressured various communities to keep fluoridating out and have thus denied its benefits to everyone who lives near them. Signup and view all the answers

How do many pseudoscience practitioners try to circumvent the public verifiability criterion of science?

By saying that there is a conspiracy to suppress their knowledge. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Kim Tinkham?

A woman who chose to not undergo proper treatment recommended by doctors because of her adherence to a supposed alternative treatment. Signup and view all the answers

How was Steve Jobs negatively affected by pseudoscience?

He delayed surgery while pursuing unproven fruit diets, consulted a psychic, and received bogus hydrotherapy. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Candace Newmaker?

A child who was taken to a therapy session in which adults laid on top of her while she was covered by a sheet and pillows and died of suffocation. Signup and view all the answers

What are some examples of people that were harmed by pseudoscience?

Children that were not vaccinated because it was thought to cause autism, and South Africans who were denied anti-retrovirals due to Thabo Mbeki's belief that AIDS was not caused by a virus. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Case Studies

Case studies involve an in-depth examination of a single individual or a small group of individuals.
Useful in the initial stages of investigating certain problems, guiding which variables require further study.
Not effective for confirming or disconfirming evidence in established theory testing due to their isolated nature and lack of comparative data.

Limitations of Case Studies

Freud’s theories were criticized for being entirely based on case studies, limiting their scientific validity.
Testimonials supporting various therapies can be misleading due to their isolated nature.

Placebo Effect

Refers to patients reporting improvement from treatment irrespective of its actual therapeutic efficacy.
All new medical studies must control for placebo effects to ensure valid results.
In drug therapy research, the best-known agent for the condition often substitutes the placebo group.

Impacts of Placebos

Difficulties arise in psychotherapy studies when determining how to treat a placebo control group.
Placebo effects can lead to addiction; 50% of physicians admit to prescribing them intentionally.
Effective treatments usually contain a therapeutic element along with a placebo effect, but excess reliance on placebos can harm patient trust and scientific understanding.

Spontaneous Remission

Some conditions can improve over time without intervention, leading to the phenomenon known as spontaneous remission.
Conditions like arthritis and multiple sclerosis often exhibit cycles of exacerbation and remission.

Vividness Effect

Individuals tend to recall vivid information more easily, impacting problem-solving and decision-making.
Personal testimonies often carry more weight than statistical data, affecting the evaluation of scientific research.
Presenting only numerical data can fail to engage audiences as effectively as visual or narrative imagery.

Misinterpretations from Testimonials

The presentation of testimonials can overshadow more reliable information.
Following 9/11, airline travel declined significantly, leading to higher risks of road travel accidents.
Cornell's reputation for suicides is influenced by media drama surrounding these events.

Psychological Influences

Factors like the vividness of information presentation shape how research is received and evaluated in society.
James Randi, known for debunking psychic claims, notably exposed Uri Geller's fraudulent practices.

P.T. Barnum Effect

Most individuals find generalized personality descriptions personally relevant, which underpins beliefs in astrology and palm reading.
Few recognize that these descriptions could apply to many others, leading to misconceptions about their uniqueness.

Harmful Effects of Pseudoscience

Pseudoscience can result in opportunity costs, affecting those who do not even believe in it.
Individuals adhering to pseudoscientific beliefs can impose harmful policies on communities, like resisting beneficial initiatives.
The narrative that scientific knowledge is suppressed can discredit more reliable information.

Notable Cases

Kim Tinkham rejected conventional treatment due to false alternative therapies.
Steve Jobs’ reliance on pseudoscience delayed necessary medical interventions.
Candace Newmaker's tragic death illustrates the dangers of unproven therapeutic practices.
Instances like the anti-vaccine movement demonstrate the real-world consequences of pseudoscientific beliefs.

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Description

This set of flashcards focuses on key concepts from Chapter 4 of Stanovich's work. Learn about case studies, when they are useful, and their limitations in research methodology. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of psychological research methods.