Week 1 - Non-scientific method

Question 1

Empiricism

Answer 1

systematic observation and test

Question 2

what are the components of scientific approach to knowledge?

Answer 2

1. ) objective measurement
2. ) ability for results to be confirmed by other scientists
3. ) self-correction of errors and faulty reasoning
4. ) exercising controls to eliminate unwanted factors `

Question 3

what are examples of non scientific methods

Answer 3

1. ) authority
2. ) tenacity
3. ) intuition
4. ) personal observation

Question 4

Authority

Answer 4

Accepting ideas as valid because some respected authority asserts they are true

eg, the use of celebrities to establish emotion associations with the product

Question 5

advantages of relying on opinion of authority

Answer 5

• efficient ways of acquiring knowledge
  “expert friends” can recommend good or bad restaurants
• curated knowledge by expert

Question 6

disadvantages of relying on opinion of authority

Answer 6

• experts can disagree, experts can be wrong
• “expert” might not even be an expert (we need to evaluate their credentials)
• our beliefs are influenced by the emotional reaction to the authority

Question 7

define tenacity

Answer 7

a willingness to accept ideas as valid because they have been accepted for a long time, or repeated so many times, they are believed to be true

Question 8

Josh believes that “you cant eat before you swim” because he’s heard it countless times before, so it must be true. This is an example of ______.

Answer 8

tenacity

Question 9

true or false: In the “Barack Obama was born in the US” poll,more democrats believes he wasn’t a native US citizen

Answer 9

false; more than 8 in 10 democrats believed he was native US citizen, but only 41% of Republicans believed he was a native US citizen

Question 10

what is rational thinking

Answer 10

rational thinking is the ability to consider the relevant variables of a situation and to access, organize, and analyze relevant information (facts, opinions, judgement, and data) to arrive at a sound conclusion WITHOUT emotion (dispassionate). A rational thinking person can change their conclusions, belief, and attitude in light of new data and evidence

Question 11

define intuition

Answer 11

accepting ideas as valid because they “feel true”

Question 12

define “truthiness”

Answer 12

satirical term coined by Stephen Colbert in reference to the quality by which a person claims to know something intuitively, instinctively, or “from the gut”, without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or actual facts

Question 13

true or false: people are more likely to believe a statement is true if there are no pictures associated with the statement

Answer 13

false; people are more likely to believe a statement to be true if there is a picture associated with it

Question 14

define observation

Answer 14

gaining knowledge through personal observation

Question 15

what is a downside of personal observation

Answer 15

knowledge is limited by your direct experience; no comparison group

people’s perception of the same experience might differ. We don’t all experience reality in the same way

seeing and hearing is no believing

bi-stable perceptions - stimuli that can be interpreted in multiple ways

Question 16

non scientific approaches are ______ whereas scientific approaches are ______

Answer 16

subjective; objective