Exam #1 Flashcards
A Way of Knowing- Based on commonsense (common knowledge about human behavior).
Intuition
A Way of Knowing- Believing what someone says because you believe them to be an expert.
Authority
A Way of Knowing-Drawing logical conclusions. Example:
Alcohol makes you do dumb things;
Not using a condom is dumb;
Therefore, alcohol makes you less likely to use a condom
Reason
A Way of Knowing -Relying on anecdotal evidence
happened to me so it must be that way for everyone
Observation/ Experience
Scientific conclusions drawn from inadequate and unscientific methods
Pseudoscience…
-Associates with true science- claims to be “scientific” and tries to use research to support its claims
-Relies on anecdotal evidence- “it happened to my friend” effect
-Sidesteps disproof- ignores contrary evidence
-Reduces complexity to simplicity- personality can be explained by bumps/handwriting?
Pseudoscience
Graphology
The study of handwriting and how it relates to personality
Whats and example of Pseudoscience
A set of methods used to collect information about phenomena in a particular area of interest and built a reliable base of knowledge about them
Science
To describe how are alcohol and risky sex related? To predict does alcohol lead to risky sex? To explain why does alcohol make one engage in risky behavior? To apply how can we inform people that alcohol and risky sex are related?
4 Goals of Psychological Research
Developing a research idea Developing a testable hypothesis Choose a research design that fits topic Choose appropriate subjects Decide what questions to ask/what you will observe Conduct study Analyze data Report results
The Research Process
A set of interrelated concepts, definitions, and propositions that presents a systematic view of events or situations by specifying relationships among variables to explain and predict events or situations.
Theory
Help us to understand
To predict
Organize and interpret research results
Generate research ideas
Why do theories exist?
