PSY1022 WEEK 3 - DISC 1

Question 1

SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE

Answer 1

There are many ways to gain knowledge, and some are better than others.

Question 2

KNOWLEDGE VIA SUPERSTITION

Answer 2

Acquiring knowledge that is based on subjective feelings, interpreting random events as nonrandom events, or believing in magical events. For example “bad things happen in threes.”

Question 3

KNOWLEDGE VIA INTUITION

Answer 3

When we have knowledge of something without being consciously aware of where the know edge came from.

• “I don’t know, it’s just a gut feeling” or “I don’t Some-times we intuit something based not on a “gut feeling” but on events we have observed. The problem is that the events may be misinterpreted and not representative of all events in that category.
• illusory correlation—the perception of a relationship that does not exist.

Question 4

KNOWLEDGE VIA AUTHORITY

Answer 4

Accepting information from a figure in power. Sometimes this is a legitimate way to obtain knowledge and information
Especially relevant when young. Learning from parents, teachers, etc.
Becomes an issue when we believe celebrities.
- Depending on authority for information can have disadvantages. Legitimate authorities make mistakes in their own field, and experts often speak outside their area(s) of expertise. If people have accepted their claims, they are less likely to perform separate inquiries to verify that those claims are true.

Question 5

KNOWLEDGE VIA TENACITY

Answer 5

Hearing a piece of information so often that you begin to believe it is true, and then, despite evidence to the contrary, you cling stubbornly to the belief.
- political campaigns, advertising.
The problem with gaining knowledge through tenacity is that we do not know whether the claims are true.

Question 6

KNOWLEDGE VIA RATIONALISM (LOGIC)

Answer 6

Knowledge gained through logical reasoning
Coming to a logically sound conclusion. Rational ideas are often presented in the
form of a syllogism. Can be based on false assumptions, and therefore not accurate.
- Logic cannot predict things that do not make logical sense. In addition, logic does not contribute additional information. It merely reworks what is already known.
- Milgram

Question 7

KNOWLEDGE VIA EMPIRICISM

Answer 7

Knowledge gained through objective observations of organisms and events in the real world.
- Aristotle rather than Plato
But can just lead to a collection of facts.

Question 8

KNOWLEDGE VIA SCIENCE

Answer 8

Knowledge gained through a combination of empirical methods and logical reasoning.
By merging rationalism and empiricism, we have the advantage of using a logical argument based on observation. We may find that our hypothesis is not supported, and thus we have to reevaluate our position. On the other hand, our observations may support the hypothesis being tested
- the only acceptable way for researchers and scientists to gain knowledge.

Question 9

HYPOTHESIS

Answer 9

A prediction regarding the outcome of a study involving the potential relationship between at least two variables.
eg Increasing portion size will cause an increase in the amount of food eaten.
- A testable hypothesis is one for which all of the variables, events, and individuals are real, and can be defined and observed.
- A refutable hypothesis is one that can be demonstrated to be false. That is, it is possible for the outcome to be different from the prediction.
- Must make a positive statement (“there is….”)
- The way in which the hypothesis is stated suggests a researcher already know the answer to the question, but do not know what he or she will find until the study is completed-phrasing the hypothesis in this way makes it testable.

Question 10

THEORY

Answer 10

An organized system of assumptions and principles that attempts to explain certain
phenomena and how they are related.
Hypothesis is on the outcome of a single study.
Multiple studies and hypothesis can lead to a theory.
Must be well supported by evidence and are subject to constant scrutiny and occasional revision.

Question 11

SKEPTIC

Answer 11

A person who questions the validity,

authenticity, or truth of something purporting to be factual.

Question 12

SYSTEMATIC EMPIRICISM

Answer 12

Making observations in a systematic manner to test hypotheses and refute or develop a theory.
- simply observing a series of events does not lead to scientific knowledge. The observations must be made in a systematic manner to test a hypothesis and refute or develop a theory.

Question 13

PUBLICALY VERIFIABLE KNOWLEDGE

Answer 13

Presenting research to the public so that it can be observed, replicated, criticized, and tested.
- peer-reviewed journals, etc.

Question 14

EMPIRICALLY SOLVABLE PROBLEMS

Answer 14

Questions that are potentially answerable by means of currently available research techniques.
- cannot test life after death, etc.

Question 15

PRINCIPAL OF FALSIFIABILITY

Answer 15

The idea that a scientific theory must be stated in such a way that it is possible to refute or disconfirm it.
- what will happen and what will not happen.

Question 16

PSEUDOSCIENCE

Answer 16

Claims that appear to be scientific but that actually violate the criteria of science.
- eg. can’t test ESP in a lab because the conditions are “not right”

Question 17

BASIC RESEARCH

Answer 17

The study of psychological issues to seek knowledge for its own sake.

• often universities and labs
• it is driven purely by curiosity and a desire to expand our knowledge. This type of research tends not to be directly applicable to the real world in a direct way, but enhances our understanding of the world around us
• includes evaluation

Question 18

APPLIED RESEARCH

Answer 18

The study of of psychological issues that
have practical significance and potential solutions.
- often private businesses or the government.
- This is the type of research that solves a problem.

Question 19

GOALS OF SCIENCE

Answer 19

Scientific research has three basic goals:

(1) to describe behavior
(2) to predict behavior
(3) to explain behavior.

Question 20

DESCRIPTION

Answer 20

Carefully observing behavior in order to describe it.

Question 21

PREDICTION

Answer 21

Identifying the factors that indicate when an
event or events will occur.
- we discover that when one variable is at a certain level, a second variable might also be present.

Question 22

EXPLAINATION

Answer 22

Identifying the causes that determine when
causes that determine when and why a behavior occurs and why a behavior occurs.
When we try to identify the best explanation for a behavior, we must systematically eliminate any alternative explanations. To eliminate alternative explanations, we must impose control over the research situation.

Question 23

THE RESEARCH PROCESS

Answer 23

The process of planning and conducting a research study involves using the scientific method to address a specific question. During this process, the researcher moves from a general idea to actual data collection and interpretation of the results.

Question 24

RESEARCH STEPS

Answer 24

1 - Find a research idea: select a topic and search the literature to find an unanswered question.
2 - Form a hypothesis and a prediction. Make a specific prediction about what will happen in the research study.
3 - Determine how you will define and measure your variables.
4 - Identify and select the participants or subjects for the study.
5 - Select a research strategy.
6 - Select a research design.
7 - Conduct the study.
8 - Evaluate the data.
9 - Report the results.
10 - Refine or reformulate your research idea.

Question 25

SUBJECTS VS PARTICIPANTS

Answer 25

Subjects = nonhuman
Participants = human

Question 26

LITERATURE REVIEW

Answer 26

Involves searching the published studies on a topic to ensure that you have a grasp of all the research that has been conducted in that area that might be relevant to your intended study.

Question 27

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

Answer 27

Cause

- eg .dirty wheel bearings

Question 28

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Answer 28

Effect

- eg. speed

Question 29

SINGLE BLIND STUDY

Answer 29

An experimental procedure in which either the experimenters or the subjects are blind to the manipulation being made.

Question 30

PLACEBO EFFECT

Answer 30

Can occur when the control group thinks they’re being treated even when they’re not.

Question 31

DOUBLE BLIND STUDY

Answer 31

An experimental procedure in which neither the experimenter nor the subject know the condition to which each subject has been assigned; both parties are blind to the manipulation.
-reduces experimenter bias.

Question 32

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH / SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Answer 32

Logically stepped process used for investigating and acquiring or expanding our understanding
- assumption that behavior is governed by rules and regularities

Question 33

TRADITION

Answer 33

Knowledge and understanding that is believed to be true because it has been traditionally accepted. No one has stopped to say ‘Hey, wait a minute. That’s not right.’
- Depending on tradition for information can have disadvantages. It rarely occurs to most people to seek a different understanding of something that they believe that they “know” to be true. This means that people rarely bother to find out if the beliefs they have, for example, about other people are actually true.

Question 34

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Answer 34

Information or understanding derived from experiencing something firsthand. There doesn’t seem to be a problem with this at first, but it is actually incredibly flawed because experience is subjective and not reproducible.

Question 35

DEONTOLOGICAL

Answer 35

Deontological (duty-based) ethics are concerned with what people do, not with the consequences of their actions.
Under this form of ethics you can’t justify an action by showing that it produced good consequences, which is why it’s sometimes called ‘non-Consequentialist’.
Someone who follows Duty-based ethics should do the right thing, even if that produces more harm (or less good) than doing the wrong thing.