The Research Process

Question 1

Give an example of BAD science:

Answer 1

• MMR hoax by Andrew Wakefield + others 1998
• Try to link MMR vaccination to autism + bowel problems
• Personal financial gains

Question 2

What are the different ways of obtaining knowledge?

Answer 2

§ Authority figures
§ Introspection + intuition
§ Experience
§ The scientific method

Question 3

○ Give an example for why gaining knowledge from authority figures may not be the best idea?

Answer 3

§ Gwyneth Paltrow + “goop” = fined for unproved health claims

Question 4

○ What biases are we subjected to making introspection and intuition a bad source of knowledge?

Answer 4

§ Confirmation bias
§ The availability heuristic
§ Illusion pattern-detection - Pareidolia

Question 5

○ What is the confirmation bias?

Answer 5

§ Finding evidence to support a belief rather than disprove it

Question 6

○ What is the availability heuristic?

Answer 6

§ Judgements are influenced by information that is readily available eg sharks, car vs plane crash

Question 7

○ What is the illusion pattern-detection?

Answer 7

§ We are prone to seeing pattern in randomness

§ Pareidolia - virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich

Question 8

○ What are the key elements of the scientific method?

Answer 8

§ Objective measurements
§ Openness to confirmation
§ Refutation or reinterpretation
§ Self-correction of errors

Question 9

○ What is the typical procedure of the scientific method?

Answer 9

§ Gen hyp based on existing theory/ observation
§ Gen testable predictions based on hyp
§ Collect + interpret data
§ Relate findings to theory and gen more hyp

Question 10

○ What are the characteristics of the scientific method?

Answer 10

§ Defined by its approach - rational, systematic, objective etc
§ Results are open to scrutiny by others - falsifiable + reproduceable

Question 11

What characteristics DO NOT define the scientific method?

Answer 11

§ Not defined by the subject (eg psychology is not a science lmao no, it is a science)
§ Not defined by the use of experimental method
§ Not defined by obtaining quantitative data

Question 12

○ What are the differences between science and pseudo-science?

Answer 12

§ True science =
				□ Produce claims which are testable 
				□ Acknowledge all findings whether they are supportive or not "Skinner"
			§ Pseudo-science =
				□ Selective use of evidence

Question 13

○ What are the limitations of the scientific method?

Answer 13

§ Restricted to testable questions eg GOD

Question 14

○ What is a Theory?

Answer 14

§ An evidence-based conceptual framework
§ That tries to explain a set of facts = observations,
§ Which can be used to make testable predictions

Question 15

○ What is a hypothesis?

Answer 15

§ A proposed explanation that comes from a theory

Question 16

○ What is a prediction?

Answer 16

§ A specific, testable prediction that comes from a hypothesis

Question 17

○ What is data?

Answer 17

§ “facts” that a theory attempts to explain, and can be used to test it

Question 18

○ What are the 2 existing theory on Maths Anxiety?

Answer 18

§ Cognitive Deficit theory: poor numerical + spatial skills = poor performance = higher anxiety
§ Debilitating anxiety theory: high anxiety about maths = poor performance due to avoidance/ distraction