Empirical Basis Of Research. Knowledge Generation

Question 1

Science
Science is not about retort stands (los típicos soportes de las réplicas biológicas) and white coats.
System of thought

Answer 1

A rational explanation of how things work in the world and a process of getting closer to truths and further from myths, fables and unquestioned or “intuitive” ideas about people
A body of knowledge, particularly that which has resulted from the systematic application of the scientific method.

Question 2

Isn’t psychology a lot of common sense and intuition
-Is text language bad for young’s people language
Can we trust intuition
-Intuition convinces you about “reliable” truths about the world. That’s not science

Question 3

Isn’t psychology a lot of common sense and intuition
-Is text language bad for young’s people language
Can we trust intuition
-Intuition convinces you about “reliable” truths about the world. That’s not science

Question 4

Characteristics of science
FALSIFIABILITY
There must be some empirical test that allow researcher to show that a particular idea is either true or false.
REPLICABILITY
Reproducing a set of findings (si se aplica el mismo experimentos en un lugar y tiempo distintos, se deben obtener las mismas conclusiones)
SYSTEMATIC
It tends to approach problems in a methodical was (tiene un sistema concreto)
OBJECTIVITY
A reliance on evidence that at least two observers can independently verify
Operational definitions

Answer 4

SELF-CORRECTION
Science correct any errors or faulty conclusions that emerged from previous research

Question 5

Pseudoscience
“Claims presented so that they appear scientific even though they lack supporting evidence and plausibility”
Scientific appearance: “psychobable” (Traducción del inglés-Psychobabble es un nombre despectivo para la terapia de habla o escritura que utiliza jerga psicológica, palabras de moda y lenguaje esotérico para crear una impresión de verdad o plausibilidad.)
Absence of peer review (researchers who are not part of the project need to review the content)
Anecdotal evidence
Absence of rigorous testing

Answer 5

Supernatural explanations
Tolerating inconsistencies
Appeals to authority
Grandiose claims
Stagnation (estancamiento, el conocimiento no se desarrolla)

Question 6

Think critically
“Think critically” with psychological science… does this mean “criticize (spoiler: no)”?
Critical thinking refers to a more careful style of forming and evaluating knowledge than simply using intuition.— In addition to the scientific method, critical thinking will help us develop more effective and accurate ways to figure out what people do, think, and feel the things they do.

Answer 6

Why do I need to work on my thinking? Can’t you just tell me facts about psychology?
The brain is designed for surviving and reproducing, but it is not the best tool for seeing reality clearly.
To improve our thinking, we will learn to catch ourselves in some critical thinking errors

Question 7

Scientific attitude part 1: curiosity
Definition: always asking new question.
That behavior I’m noticing in that guy… is that common to all people? Or is it more common under stress? Or only common for males?

Hypothesis: curiosity, if not guided by caution, can lead to the death of felines and perhaps humans

Question 8

Scientific Attitude Part 2: Skepticism
Definition: not accepting a “fact” as true without challenging it; seeing if facts can withstand attempts to disprove them

Skepticism, like curiosity, generates question: “is there another explanation for the behavior I’m am seeing? Is there a problem with how i measured it, or how i set up my experiment? Do I need to change my theory to fit de evidence?

Question 9

Scientific Attitude Part 3: Humility
Humility refers to seeking the truth rather than trying to be right; a scientist need to be able to accept being wrong
What matters is not my opinion or yours, but the truth nature reveals in response to our questioning.

Question 10

Critical thinking: analyzing information to decide whether it makes sense, rather than simply accepting it. Goal: getting at truth, even if it means putting aside your own ideas.

Answer 10

-See if there was a flaw in how the information was collected.
-Consider if there are other possible explanations for the facts or results.
-Look for hidden assumptions and decide if you agree.
-Look for hidden bias, politics, values, or personal connections.
-Put aside your owns assumptions and biases, and look at the evidence.

Question 11

Scientific method- A way of thinking
Science is a way of thinking that leads us toward testable explanations of what we observe in the world around us.
Not only for research—everyday problems
Scientific research does not prove theories true.
(Not)This proves - this supports - evidence is consistent with
There could be different explanations

Question 12

The scientific method is the process of testing our ideas about the world by:
Setting up situations that test our ideas.
Making careful, organized observations.
Analyzing whether the data fit our ideas

—If the data don’t fit our ideas, then we modify our ideas, and test again

Question 13

EMPIRICAL METHOD through experience plus HYPOTHETICO-DEDUCTIVE METHOD
Gathering of data, throug experience, with no preconceptions
Induction of pattern and relationships within the data

Answer 13

Theory-data cycle

Theory- leads researcher to pose particular research questions- which lead to an appropriate research design. In the context of the design, researchers formulate hypotheses.- Researches then collect and analyze data, which feed back into the cycle.

Support (supporting data strengthens the theory)
Revision (non-supporting data lead to revised theories or research desings).

Question 14

Laws
A law is a general principle that apply to all situations
There are few universally accepted laws within the behavioral sciences

Answer 14

Theory
A theory, in the language of science, is a set of principles, built on observation and other verifiable facts, that explains some phenomenon and predicts its futures behavior.
Example of a theory: All ADHD symptoms are a reaction to eating sugar.

Question 15

Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a testable predictions consistent with our theory.
“Testable” means that the hypothesis is stated in a way that we could make observation to find out if it is true.
What would be a prediction from the “All ADHD is about sugar theory?
One hypothesis: “If a kid gets sugar, the kid will act more distracted, impulsive and hypeactive.”
To test the “All” part of the theory: “ADHD symptoms will continue for some kids even after sugar is removed from the diet.”

Question 16

Hypothetico-deductive method

Observation, gatherig and ordering data
Induction of generalizations or laws
Development of explanatory theories
Deduction of hypothesis to test theory
Test hypothesis. Develop research prediction.
Results of test provide support or challenge the theory

Question 17

Hypothetic-deductive method
Observation, gathering and ordering data: carry out tests of relatively short term memory using Word lists of varying lengths.
Induction of generalizations or laws: when people are given a list of 20 words and and asked to “free recall them” as soon as the list has been presentes they tend to recall the last four or five words better than the rest—know as a recency effect.
Development of explanatory theories: suggestion that we have a short-term memory store (STS) of about theories 30 seconds durantion and long term stores (LTS) and that list items have to be rehearsed (repetidas) in the ST buffer if they are to be transferred to the LTS.
Deduction of hypothesis to test theory: if it is true that items are rehearsed in the buffer then people might to test theory by emptying that buffer first when asked to recall a list and therefore producing the recency effect.
Hypothesis: recency effect is caused by early emptying of the rehearsal buffer.
Test hypothesis. Develop research prediction. Have several research participants attempt to free recall a word list. Prevent them from starting recall for 30 seconds after presentation of the list by having them perform an unrelated distraction task.
Results of test provide support or challenge to theory: if the recency effect disappears then the rehearsal buffer emptying support for or challenge hypothesis is supported and hence, in turn, the general ST/LT theory. If not then some other explanation of the recency effect is required

Question 18

Hypothetic-deductive method
Observation, gathering and ordering data: carry out tests of relatively short term memory using Word lists of varying lengths.
Induction of generalizations or laws: when people are given a list of 20 words and and asked to “free recall them” as soon as the list has been presentes they tend to recall the last four or five words better than the rest—know as a recency effect.
Development of explanatory theories: suggestion that we have a short-term memory store (STS) of about theories 30 seconds durantion and long term stores (LTS) and that list items have to be rehearsed (repetidas) in the ST buffer if they are to be transferred to the LTS.
Deduction of hypothesis to test theory: if it is true that items are rehearsed in the buffer then people might to test theory by emptying that buffer first when asked to recall a list and therefore producing the recency effect.
Hypothesis: recency effect is caused by early emptying of the rehearsal buffer.
Test hypothesis. Develop research prediction. Have several research participants attempt to free recall a word list. Prevent them from starting recall for 30 seconds after presentation of the list by having them perform an unrelated distraction task.
Results of test provide support or challenge to theory: if the recency effect disappears then the rehearsal buffer emptying support for or challenge hypothesis is supported and hence, in turn, the general ST/LT theory. If not then some other explanation of the recency effect is required

Question 19

Main features (a distinctive attribute or aspect of something) of a psychological investigation
Planning research:
RESEARCH QUESTION

Variables: WHAT shall we measure? What human characteristics under what conditions?
Samples: WHOM shall we study? How will we find them?
Analysis: WHAT sort of evidence will we get? In what form?
Design: HOW shall we aswer our research question? How specifically can we test out the research predictions?

Question 20

Variables: the things that alter, and whose changes we can measure
Samples: the people we are going to study or work with—PARTICIPANTS
They are taken from the POPULATION.
Design: overall structure and strategy of the research study
- Resources
- Nature of research aim
- Previous research
- Analysis: design and measurement will have a direct effect on the analysis

Question 21

QUANTITATIVE vs. QUALITATIVE
Not all data gathered in psychological research studies are numerical

Question 22

KEY IDEAS (1)
Psychological researchers generally folllor a scientific approach, developed from the “empirical method” into the “hypothetico-deductive method”.
Most people use the rudimentary logic of scientific theory testing quite often in their everyday lives.
Although scientific thinking is a careful extension of common-sense thinking, common sense on its own can lead to false assumptions.
Claims about the world must always be supported by evidence.
Good research is replicable; theories are clearly explained and falsifiable

Answer 22

Theories in science and in psychology are not “proven” true but are supported or challenged by research evidence.
Scientific research is a continuous and social activity, involving promotion and checking of ideas among colleagues.
Research has to be planned carefully, with attention to desing, variables, samples and subsequent data analysis. If all these areas are not thoroughly planned, results muy be ambiguous or useless.
Some researchers have strong objections to the use of traditional quantitative scientific methods in the study of persons. They support qualitative methods and data gathering, dealing with meaningful verbal data rather than exact measurement and statistical summary.