PSYC1040 Week 1

Question 1

What makes for good research?

Answer 1

Openmindedness - acknowledging our beliefs may be incomplete but entertaining ideas without necessarily accepting them
Rational scepticism - acknowledging that a belief or claim may be inaccurate by using reseasoning to test ideas and arguments
Empiricism - using evidence to test claims, ideas, and beliefs and come up with new ideas - desiring high-quality evidence and taking into account all relevant evidence according to its quality
Nuance subtlety - accounting for context and paying attention to fine distinctions (within reason)
Tentativeness - not jumping to conclusions and being able to adjust ideas as new evidence or arguments
Honesty - knowing what support you have for your ideas, beliefs or claims - ideally also knowing the strongest arguments against them

Question 2

Bad research

Answer 2

• limiting questions or accepting ideas uncritically
• arguing from authority or from ‘pure reason’
• jumping to conclusions
• ignoring, hiding or altering evidence

Question 3

Independent variable

Answer 3

• a variable being considered as a CAUSE of other variables

Question 4

Dependent variable

Answer 4

• a variable being considered as AFFECTED by other variables