CH 1 Psychology of Scientific Thinking (Questions)

Question 1

What are the Levels of Analysis in Psychology?

Answer 1

• Higher Levels : Social culture influences; involves relating to others and personal relationships; “the mind” (brain in action).
• Middle Levels: Psychological influences (mental or neurological); Involves thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
• Lower Levels: Biological influences (molecular or neurochemical); Involves the molecules and brain structure; “the brain.”

Question 2

What complexities exist within Psychology?

Answer 2

1. Behaviour is difficult to predict

• Behaviour is multiply determined:produce by many factors

2. Psychological variables are often interrelated:

• Individual Differences: Thinking, emotion, personal beliefs, behaviours…
• Mutual Influences: Reciprocal Determinism (People mutually influence each other’s behaviour)
• Culture and Cultural Differences

Question 3

What is wrong with common sense?

Answer 3

While Common sense can be correct, the bases on which it’s developed isn’t entirely factual/scientific.

• It’s usage can be problematic in ambiguous or complex situations (ex. politics).
• Naive Realism

Question 4

Why do people refuse to regard Psychology as a science?

Answer 4

• Psychology is quite intuitive
• People lack scientific literation and are unable to understand the nuances behind scientific thinking

Question 5

What is a Scientific Theory?

Answer 5

• Explains why things are the way they are in the natural world
• Generates hypotheses: a testable prediction derived from a scientific theory.

Question 6

What are 3 misconceptions about theories?

Answer 6

1. A theory explains one specific event
2. A theory is an educated guess

• Theories account for findings; provide an explanatory framework. They are more like educated conclusions, rather than “guesses.”

3. A theory can be proven correct

• A theory can only be falsified and supported by evidence, it cannot be proven correct.

Question 7

Despite dealing with factual information, how can science by wrong?

Answer 7

• Scientific Knowledge is tentative and acquired slowly
• Many results fail to be replicated

Question 8

What are 5 warning signs of Pseudoscience?

Answer 8

1. Exaggerated Claims
2. Over reliance on anecdotes (a personal story used to support a claim)
3. Overuse of ad hoc immunizing hypothesis (A way to explain away disconfirming evidence, immunizing evidence/claims that goes against a theory)
4. Lack of Self-Correction: No method for getting rid of unsupported claims; Science is fundamentally built for self-correction
5. Talk of “proof” instead of evidence

Question 8

Why are we drawn to pseudoscience?

Answer 8

We search for order in a complex world.

We find comfort in our beliefs

• Personal Benefits: believing what we want to be true
• Gives us a sense of control

Question 9

What are the 3 fallacies in Pseudoscience?

Answer 9

1. Emotional Reasoning Fallacy: Use emotions as guides to evaluate a claim
2. Bandwagon Fallacy: Accept a claim because many people believe it
3. Not me Fallacy: Belief that we are immune from errors in thinking that afflict other people

Question 10

What is the only antidote against Pseudoscience?

Answer 10

To think clearly and objectively.

Question 11

What are the 3 dangers of Pseudoscience?

Answer 11

1. Opportunity Cost

• ex. People don’t seek scientifically supported treatments for mental health problems

2. Direct Harm: Pseudoscientific treatments can inflict problems or worsen existing ones
3. Propagates an inability to think scientifically as citizens (failure to think critically)