M03 Flashcards
What is the philosophy of science according to Karl Popper?
Falsification.
Popper argued that for a theory to be scientific, it must be testable and falsifiable.
What is the difference between science and popular psychology?
Science is evidence-based, while popular psychology often relies on anecdotal evidence and common beliefs.
Popular psychology can lead to misconceptions about human behavior.
What is naïve realism?
The belief that we see the world precisely as it is.
This perspective can lead to misunderstandings about perception and reality.
Communalism
willingness to share our findings with others
Disinterestedness
attempt to be objective when evaluating evidence
What is confirmation bias?
The tendency to seek out evidence that supports our hypothesis and neglect or distort contradicting evidence.
This bias can affect scientific research and personal beliefs.
Belief Perseverence
tendency to stick to initial belifs even when evidence contradicts them
What is a scientific theory?
An explanation for a large number of findings in the natural world that has survived repeated efforts to refute it.
It is more than just an educated guess; it is supported by substantial evidence.
What does pseudoscience lack?
Safeguards against confirmation bias and belief perseverance.
Pseudoscience often presents claims that may appear scientific but do not adhere to scientific methods.
What are seven key warning signs of pseudoscience?
- Ad hoc immunizing hypothesis
- Lack of self-correction
- Exaggerated claims
- Overreliance on anecdotes
- Evasion of peer review
- Absence of connectivity
- Psychobabble
These signs can help individuals identify pseudoscientific claims.
What is ad hoc immunizing hypothesis
- escape hatch that defenders of a theory use to protect against falsification, usually a loophole or exception for negative findings
What does overreliance on anecdotes mean
- Can’t tell us about cause and effect
- Anecdotes are often not representative
- Difficult to verify
What is the emotional reasoning fallacy?
The error of using our emotions to evaluate the validity of a claim.
This fallacy can lead to biased judgments and decisions.
What is Occam’s Razor?
The principle that the simplest explanation for a given set of data is the best one.
This principle is often used in scientific reasoning to avoid unnecessary complexity.
What is the correlation-causation fallacy?
Assuming that because two variables are correlated, one causes the other.
This fallacy overlooks the possibility of third variables influencing both correlated variables.
What is the role of scientific literacy in pseudoscientific beliefs?
Scientific literacy helps individuals critically evaluate claims and reduces susceptibility to pseudoscientific beliefs.
It promotes informed decision-making and skepticism.
What is the definition of critical thinking?
A set of skills for evaluating all claims in an open-minded and careful fashion.
Critical thinking is essential for discerning credible information from pseudoscience.
What are the basic principles of critical thinking
- extraordinary claims: require extraoridnary evidence (hume)
- falsifiability (popper)
- occam’s razor
- replicability: findings must be duplicated. ideally by independent investigators
- ruling out rival hypotheses - need to consider alternative hypotheses
- correlation ≠ causation
What is belief perseverance?
The tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them.
This can hinder the acceptance of new information and scientific findings.
What are some dangers of pseudoscience?
- Opportunity cost: forfeiting other effcting treatments due to cost/time of ineffective efforts
- Animal deaths
- Direct harm
- Slippery slope
Pseudoscience can lead to ineffective or harmful practices and neglect of effective treatments.
What is the difference between scientific skepticism and pathological skepticism?
Scientific skepticism evaluates claims with an open mind; pathological skepticism dismisses claims that contradict one’s beliefs.
This distinction is important for maintaining a balanced approach to evidence.
Disconfirmation bias
tendency to seek out evidence inconsistent with a hypothesis we don’t belive in, and neglect information consistent with it
Oberg’s Dictum
premise that we should keep our midns open, but not so open we virtually believe everything
role of authority
we should be unwilling to accept claims on the basis of authority alone
What is the ‘Hot Hand’ phenomenon?
The belief that after making several successful attempts, an individual is ‘on a roll.’
Research shows there is no statistical evidence to support this belief.
Fill in the blank: The belief that we see the world precisely as it is is known as _______.
naïve realism.
transcendental tempatation
desire to alleviate our anxiety by embracing the supernatural
need for wonder
fulfills our intrinsic fascination with the nature of our existence
pareidolia
tendency to perceive meaningful images (but not just faces in meaningless visual stimuli (e.g., face on Mars)
apophenia
tendency to perceive meaningful connections among unrelated phenomena (coincidence)
bandwagon fallacy
assuming a claim is correct because many ppl believe it
either-or fallacy
framing a question as though we can answer it one of two extreme ways
not me fallacy
beliveing we are immune from thinking errors that afflict others
bias blind spot
blind to our own perspective, but not to others’ (i.e - accents)
