Science of Psych (week 6 part 2) Flashcards
Scientific attitude and critical thinking (describe and uses) Scientific method (steps and use) Research methods (uses and weaknesses) Research ethics with people and animals
What is the Scientific attitude and its requirements (3)?
- it is the path to critical thinking (not gullible or cynical)
Requires:
1) Curiousity: passion to explore and understand (without misleading or being misled)
2) scepticism: refusal to believe w/o evi / sceintifically sound reasons
3) Humilty: awareness of own vulnerability to error and open minded
What is critical thinking/smart thinking (3)?
- ability to assess claims
- make objective judgements on basis of well-supported evi / reasons (rather than emotion or anecdotes)
- thinking creatively and constructively
(alternative exp for events, implications of research findings, application of new knowledge)
What are the contributions of critical thinking (3) and some examples?
1) Surprising findings
- within days newborns can recognise mother by odour
- after brain damage, person may be able to learn new skills but unaware of learning
2) demystifying popular assumptions
- most eople do not suffer from low self esteem, but high SE is not always good
- opposites do not generally attract
3) identifying effective policies
- taxes only effective at reducing purchase of sugar-sweetened drinks when customer IS MADE AWARE THAT IT’S ADDED AND TAX AMT IS UNDEFINED
What are the essential critical thinking guidelines (8)?
1) Ask questions (be willing to wonder)
2. Define your terms (hypothesis, operational definitions)
3. Examine the evidence
4. Analyse assumptions and biases
5. Avoid emotional reasoning
6. Do not oversimplify
7. Consider other interpretations
8. Tolerate uncertainty
Why is Critical thinking important in Healthcare (4)?
Clinical reasoning & clinical decision-making skills
dependent on critical thinking ability
* ready to learn to evaluate arguments and
* sort truths from falsehoods (in the context of evidence-based medicine)
* distinguish between evidence-based medicine versus complimentary & alternative medicine
What is the scientific method in psychology (3) and why is it used (2)?
- self-correcting process for evaluating ideas with observation
and analysis - Psychological science welcomes ideas and conceivable theories, then tests them
- Theory is revisited or rejected:
if predictions fail
(Theory works: if the tests supports predictions)
SM used:
* to determine facts
* to reduce uncertainty
What are the steps of the scientific method (5 steps)? (what are the 4 goals of scientific methos)
Steps of Scientific method:
1. Perceive Question – want explanation for observed situation (description goal)
2. Form Hypothesis – tentative explanation about the situation
(description & explanation goals)
3. Test Hypothesis – collect data and analyse results
(explanation goal)
4. Draw Conclusions – about investigation’s success or failure to explain situation (prediction goal)
5. Report Results – share exactly what, why, and how you did it, and how it can be repeated (control goal)
Goals of scientific method:
1) description
2) explanation
3) prediction
4) control
What are the research methods in Psychology (3)?
- Descriptive methods: establishing facts
- Correlational methods: looking for r/s
- experimental methods: Hunting for clues
What is a descriptive study and what are examples of it (4)? What is it’s weakness (2)?
Descriptive study: to establish facts
Examples:
a) Observational Studies: observe subjects in natural
environment or research setting (laboratory)
b) Case Studies: study the individual in greater detail (as much as they can)
c) Surveys: ask questions (e.g., via telephone, internet, or
questionnaire) about topic
d) Psychological Tests: use assessment instruments that measure: personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes,
abilities, values and interests
Weakness:
- no control of variables
- single cases misleading
What are correlational studies (3)? What are it’s weaknesses (1)?
- looking for r/s
- positive or negative correlation measure direction of r/s btwn 2 variables (NOT cause and effect only)
- coefficient of correlation = strength and diection of r/s
Weakness:
- cannot specify cause and effect
What is experiment method (2) and how is it done (2)? What are the weaknesses of the method? What are some hazards (2) of this method and how to resolve it (2)?
- ONLY WAY to measure cause and effect
- deliberately manipulate one or more variables and measure change
How is it done:
Variables:
- independent (measured)
- dependent (evaluate manipulation of independent variable
WHO RECEIVES VARIABLE:
* Sample selection:
- experimental grp (receive IV or manipulation)
- control grp (should have no effect)
OR
* Random assignment
Weakness:
- sometimes not feasible
- results may unable to generalise
- ethical issuse to manipulate certain variables
experimental HAZARDS:
- placebo (participants: effect of expectation and bias influence own behaviour)
- experimenter effect (experimenter: bias influence participant behaviour)
Resolution:
- single blind study (blind participants)
- double blind study
What are the methods of evaluating findings (3)?
Descriptive statistics:
- organise and summarise data (mean and SD)
Inferential statistics:
- how meaningful findings are
(significance tests and confidence intervals)
Interpreting findings:
- choosing best exp, judge result’s importance
Why is ethics in research important (1)? Who reviews ethics of projects (3)?
Primary goal to protect health and welfare of human or animal participants
Bodies that review research projects:
* National Medical Ethics Committee
* Hospital Ethics Committees
* Institutional Review Boards @ Universities
What are the guidelines for doing research with people? (8)
1) Informed consent
○ informed decision
2) No written deception (agreement deception)
○ No open ended question (no loose interpretations)
3) No verbal deceptions (survey deceptions)
○ Stay away from bias
○ Deception must be reasonable and justifiable
4) No coercion
○ No bribing
○ No harassing
○ No threatening
○ participants able to withdraw from study anytime
5) Respect Anonymity
○ Unless participant explicitly say can reveal, otherwise keep confidential
6) No Risk
○inform participants of any risk
○ Don’t put participants at risk (researcher responsible for undesirable consequence))
7) Always Debrief
○ explain to participants the nature of study and expectation of results at its conclusion
8) Rights and well-being of participants come first, the study’s value to science come second
What are the Ethical considerations for research with animals? (3)
*avoid any unnecessary pain or
suffering
* Ensure comfort, health and humane treatment, minimise infection, illness and pain
(American Psychological Association)
* Housing animals under reasonably natural loving conditions (eg. companions for social animals )
(British Psychological Society)
