Science And Pseudoscience

Question 1

Definition of Psychology according to Lilienfeld

Answer 1

Scientific study of the mind, brain and behaviour

Question 2

What are the levels of analysis?

Answer 2

Lower level - molecular and neurochemical
Meddle level - mental processes and behavioural
Higher level - social (environmental)

Question 3

Science begins with empiricism. Meaning?

Answer 3

The attitude that knowledge about the world should be acquired through observation of the things in the world

Question 4

Psychology as a science against biases

Answer 4

• refines initial observations, subjects them to tests to determine whether they are accurate

Question 5

For a theory to be scientific…

Answer 5

It must generate novel predictions that are testable (hypothesis)

Question 6

Theories vs hypothesis

Answer 6

Theories are general explanations, hypothesis are specific predictions derived from those explanations

Question 7

What is confirmation bias

Answer 7

Tendency to seek out evidence that supports our beliefs and to deny or dismiss evidence that contradicts them
(Seek and ye shall find)

Question 8

Difference between scientist and non-scientist?

Answer 8

Scientists adopt systematic safeguards (scientific method) to protect themselves against confirmation bias

Question 9

What is belief perseverance

Answer 9

• We do not want to believe we are wrong
• Ignore facts
• even when we are informed we are wrong, we do not wipe our mental slates clean, beliefs endure

Question 10

What is pseudoscience

Answer 10

A set of claims that seem scientific but are not
Pseudoscience lacks safeguards against bias

Question 11

Crucial warning signs of pseudoscience: overuse of ad how immunising hypothesis

Answer 11

An escape that defenders of a theory use to protect their theory from being disproven (excuses for negative result)

Question 12

Crucial warning signs of pseudoscience: lack of self correction

Answer 12

• Belief perseverance
• even when scientific evidence comes out, pseudoscience stays
• no updated data

Question 13

Crucial warning signs of pseudoscience: over-reliance on anecdotes

Answer 13

• ‘I know a person who…’ rather than actual evidence
• anecdotes do not tell us anything about cause and effect
• not testable, can’t verify, other factors?

Question 14

Why are we drawn to pseudoscience?

Answer 14

• patternicity: trying to make sense of things that aren’t connected, seeing meaningful images in meaningless stimuli
• finding comfort in our beliefs
• terror management theory

Question 15

Why are we drawn to pseudoscience? Terror management theory

Answer 15

Awareness of our own death leaves us with sense of fear
Pseudoscience reassures us that our lives have broader meaning and purpose

Question 16

Scientific skepticism

Answer 16

Evaluates all claims with an open mind, but insists on persuasive evidence before accepting them

Question 17

Scientific skepticism 2

Answer 17

Unwillingness to accept claims on their own merits and refuse to accept them until they meet a high standard of evidence

Question 18

6 principles of scientific thinking

Answer 18

Extraordinary claims
Testing predictions
Occam’s razor
Replicability
Ruling out rival hypothesis
Correlation vs causation

Question 19

Extraordinary claims

Answer 19

More a claim contradicts what we already know, more persuasive the evidence must be

Question 20

Testing predictions

Answer 20

Can the claim be tested?
Must make novel predictions that are different from other theories

Question 21

Occam’s razor

Answer 21

If there are 2 explanations, choose the simpler one
Use Occam’s razor to ‘shave off’ unnecessary complicated explanations for same thing

Question 22

Replicability

Answer 22

Studies findings can be duplicated consistently.

Question 23

Ruling out rival hypothesis

Answer 23

have other plausible explanations been excluded?

Question 24

Correlation vs causation

Answer 24

Correlation between 2 things does not mean there is a causal connection
3rd variable problem

Question 25

Major theoretical frameworks

Answer 25

Structuralism
Functionalism
Behaviouralism
Cognitivism
Psychoanalysis

Question 26

Structuralism

Answer 26

Wundt and E.B Titchener
- aimed to identify structures of psychological experience. Using introspection they believed were sensation, images and feelings

Question 27

Functionalism

Answer 27

William James and Charles Darwin
- wanted to understand purposes of psychological characteristics (the why)
- stream of consciousness
- influenced by natural selection (psychological processes served purpose in evolution)

Question 28

Behaviourism

Answer 28

Watson and Skinner
- general principles of learning explain all behaviours
- behaviour is explained by looking outside the organism, rewards and punishments from environment (classical and operant conditioning)
- prediction and control of observable behaviour
- black box psychology

Question 29

Cognitivism: opening the black box

Answer 29

Thinking affects behaviour
Interpretation (how people evaluate information) is very important
People learn by insight not just punishment and rewards

Question 30

Psychoanalysis

Answer 30

Freud and Jung
Focuses on internal psychological processes
Function of conscious self is to mediate demands of inner and outer reality
Conscious experience can be motivated by ideas and feeling we aren’t aware of
Early childhood experience

Question 31

Nature vs nurture

Answer 31

Are behaviours attributed to mostly genes or environment?
Studies have shown through twin and adoption studies that genes have a greater influence

Question 32

Free will determinism

Answer 32

What extent are our behaviours choices able to be freely selected rather than determined

Question 33

How psychological research affects our lives

Answer 33

Brake lights
HSC
Advertising
Sequential line ups

Question 34

How can evidence based practise help bridge the scientist- practitioner gap

Answer 34

Scientist-practitioner model: the idea that trained professional psychologists should be knowledgeable in both research and clinical practise
Proper training