Unit 1: Psych and Scientific Thinking Flashcards
Bias
To assign a disproportionate amount of evidence in favor of one outcome
Fallacy
An error in reasoning; When the answer doesn’t make sense based on evidence given
Heuristics
Mental shortcuts used to save mental resources
Confirmation Bias
Our tendency to seek supporting evidence for a claim
Belief Perseverance
Tendency to stick to initial beliefs even when opposing evidence is presented
Anchoring Bias
Tendency to rely on the first piece of evidence presented when making a decision
Not-Me-Fallacy
Tendency to believe we do not succumb to the same shortcomings others do
Appeal To Authority
Tendency to believe claims given by authority figures
Slippery Slope
Tendency to believe small changes could lead to much greater changes
Availability Heuristic
Tendency to evaluate a claim based on how easily evidence comes to mind
Representativeness Heuristic
Tendency to evaluate the likelihood of an outcome based on the likelihood of outcome in our past experiences
Familiarity Heuristic
Tendency to choose the most familiar option
What are the six principles of the scientific method?
Rule out alt. hypotheses, correlation vs. causation, falsifiability, replicability, extraordinary claims, and ocam’s razor
Falsifiability
Can a claim be proven false?
Ocam’s Razor
Can a simpler explanation fit just as well?
Placebo Effect
Believing something will have a pos effect will make it have a pos effect
Nocebo Effect
Believing something will have a neg effect will make it have a neg effect
Reciprocal Determinism
Individuals influence the behaviour of individuals
Behaviorism Perspective
Believes all behavior is learned, conditioning
Cognitive Perspective
Mental processes are inferred from behavior
Evolutionary Perspective
Believes all behavior exists for an evolutionary purpose
Humanistic Perspective
Strive for peak human potential
Psychodynamic Perspective
Unconscious processes affect conscious behavior
