Chapter 2

Question 1

Explain why all scientists value research-based conclusions over beliefs based on experience

Answer 1

Experience may not be accurate as:
1. it does not involve a comparison group
2. is confounded (daily life has many factors)
3. is not generalisable (unlike research, which is probabilistic - trying to predict/explain a high proportion of cases)

Question 2

How does one locate legitimate research-based information and read it with purpose?

Answer 2

Reliable databases for research can be found in PsychINFO, Google Scholar, websites of researchers and available in academic libraries.

Question 3

Explain why all scientists value research-based conclusions over beliefs based on intuition

Answer 3

Intuition is flawed as
1. it is affected by biases in thinking - availability heuristic, present/present bias, confirmation bias, bias blind spot
2. it can be swayed by a good story

Question 4

Explain why all scientists value research-based conclusions over beliefs based on authority

Answer 4

If an authority’s findings are based on their own experience or intuition, they are unreliable. However, if they use well-conducted studies to support their claims, it is possible to trust their advice.

Question 5

How should you approach journal articles, chapters in edited books and full-length books?

Answer 5

they should be read with purpose, asking what is the theoretical argument, what is the evidence and what does the data say?

Question 6

Can popular media articles and books be good sources of information?

Answer 6

Yes, as long as you think critically. Journalists might not cover the information accurately and you should always compare the article with its original scientific source

Question 7

What is disinformation?

Answer 7

It is news that is deliberately created to mislead or provoke.

Question 8

What are all the biases in intuition?

Answer 8

1. Availability heuristic - the things that easily come to mind guide our thinking
2. Bias blind spot - the belief that we are unlikely to fall prey to other biases
3. Present/present bias - failing to look for absences and easily notice the present
4. Confirmation bias - the tendency to only look at information that agrees with what we want

Question 9

What is the difference between empirical and review journal articles?

Answer 9

Empirical ones conduct the direct investigation, obtaining the data. In contrast, review journal articles are like meta analyses where they combine and review a bunch of empirical articles