Science And Pseudoscience Flashcards
Definition of Psychology according to Lilienfeld
Scientific study of the mind, brain and behaviour
What are the levels of analysis?
Lower level - molecular and neurochemical
Meddle level - mental processes and behavioural
Higher level - social (environmental)
Science begins with empiricism. Meaning?
The attitude that knowledge about the world should be acquired through observation of the things in the world
Psychology as a science against biases
- refines initial observations, subjects them to tests to determine whether they are accurate
For a theory to be scientific…
It must generate novel predictions that are testable (hypothesis)
Theories vs hypothesis
Theories are general explanations, hypothesis are specific predictions derived from those explanations
What is confirmation bias
Tendency to seek out evidence that supports our beliefs and to deny or dismiss evidence that contradicts them
(Seek and ye shall find)
Difference between scientist and non-scientist?
Scientists adopt systematic safeguards (scientific method) to protect themselves against confirmation bias
What is belief perseverance
- 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
What is pseudoscience
A set of claims that seem scientific but are not
Pseudoscience lacks safeguards against bias
Crucial warning signs of pseudoscience: overuse of ad how immunising hypothesis
An escape that defenders of a theory use to protect their theory from being disproven (excuses for negative result)
Crucial warning signs of pseudoscience: lack of self correction
- Belief perseverance
- even when scientific evidence comes out, pseudoscience stays
- no updated data
Crucial warning signs of pseudoscience: over-reliance on anecdotes
- ‘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?
Why are we drawn to pseudoscience?
- 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
Why are we drawn to pseudoscience? Terror management theory
Awareness of our own death leaves us with sense of fear
Pseudoscience reassures us that our lives have broader meaning and purpose
Scientific skepticism
Evaluates all claims with an open mind, but insists on persuasive evidence before accepting them
Scientific skepticism 2
Unwillingness to accept claims on their own merits and refuse to accept them until they meet a high standard of evidence
6 principles of scientific thinking
Extraordinary claims
Testing predictions
Occam’s razor
Replicability
Ruling out rival hypothesis
Correlation vs causation
Extraordinary claims
More a claim contradicts what we already know, more persuasive the evidence must be
Testing predictions
Can the claim be tested?
Must make novel predictions that are different from other theories
Occam’s razor
If there are 2 explanations, choose the simpler one
Use Occam’s razor to ‘shave off’ unnecessary complicated explanations for same thing
Replicability
Studies findings can be duplicated consistently.
Ruling out rival hypothesis
have other plausible explanations been excluded?
Correlation vs causation
Correlation between 2 things does not mean there is a causal connection
3rd variable problem
Major theoretical frameworks
Structuralism
Functionalism
Behaviouralism
Cognitivism
Psychoanalysis
Structuralism
Wundt and E.B Titchener
- aimed to identify structures of psychological experience. Using introspection they believed were sensation, images and feelings
Functionalism
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)
Behaviourism
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
Cognitivism: opening the black box
Thinking affects behaviour
Interpretation (how people evaluate information) is very important
People learn by insight not just punishment and rewards
Psychoanalysis
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
Nature vs nurture
Are behaviours attributed to mostly genes or environment?
Studies have shown through twin and adoption studies that genes have a greater influence
Free will determinism
What extent are our behaviours choices able to be freely selected rather than determined
How psychological research affects our lives
Brake lights
HSC
Advertising
Sequential line ups
How can evidence based practise help bridge the scientist- practitioner gap
Scientist-practitioner model: the idea that trained professional psychologists should be knowledgeable in both research and clinical practise
Proper training
