What is science, pseudoscience, critical-thinking?

Question 1

What are neruromyths?

Answer 1

Misconceptions about brain research and its application.

Question 2

Why are there so many misconceptions (myths) and how are thay so wide spread?

Answer 2

• Film/media misportray/promote myths.
• Actors with credibility roles.
• Built to mislead
• Entertainment works like a source for “facts”

Question 3

Is it true that educated people still believe in some of the myths?

Answer 3

Yes, even major students.

Question 4

What is the Freud problem?

Answer 4

Lay people believe that Freud is the main psychologist whose works comprise much of its findings when in fact it makes up less than 10%. Freud only used case studies and introspection and he did not conduct experiments. His theories were unfalsifiable.

Question 5

What is pop-psychology?

Answer 5

Pop psychology, which is short for popular psychology, is often based on an “urban myth” type culture. What that means is that a theory may have been heard for so long and spread so far that the general public believes it.

Question 6

What is parapsychology?

Answer 6

Parapsychology is the study of alleged psychic phenomena and other paranormal claims, for example related to near-death experiences, synchronicity, apparitional experiences, etc

Question 7

Why is it important to understand what scientific knowledge really is (and is not), and how it is generated?

Answer 7

To be able to provide the most recent and up-to date evidence, concerning the area or field of study.

What you are suppose to learn is the most recent information based in science, and how to find that information.

Question 8

What is scientific realism?

Answer 8

• What we see directly is just an appearence.
• A hidden/deeper/invisible reality exists beyond the appearances
• This reality exists independent of human, beliefs and activites.
• The hidden reality has some kind of structure and order in itself.
• Science can get information about reality.
• The most highly developed scientific theories describe the reality. (atoms, distant galaxies.)

Question 9

What is naive realism?

Answer 9

SHORT: We see the reality as it really is.

LONG: The naive realist theory may be characterized as the acceptance of the following five beliefs:

1. There exists a world of material objects.
2. Some statements about these objects can be known to be true through sense-experience.
3. These objects exist not only when they are being perceived but also when they are not perceived. The objects of perception are largely perception-independent.
4. These objects are also able to retain properties of the types we perceive them as having, even when they are not being perceived. Their properties are perception-independent.
5. By means of our senses, we perceive the world directly, and pretty much as it is. In the main, our claims to have knowledge of it are justified.”

Question 10

What is science about?

Answer 10

Systematic attempts by humans to DESCRIBE reality as ACCURATELY as possible.

Question 11

What are some descriptions of the reality used in science?

Answer 11

Concepts, theories, hypotheses, predictions, explanations, mathematical equations, models, computer simulation.

Question 12

What is oftenly provided alongside a description in science?

Answer 12

A scientific model. - as a way to describe this deeper structure of reality. (DNA, Living organism)

Question 13

What are some of the relationships between reality and science?

Answer 13

• Science aim at ACCURATE descriptions of reality “truth”
• Descriptions of reality can be evalutated as true or false.
• Come closer to the truth - the degree of “Truthlikeness”/”Verisimilitude”

Question 14

Describe the “Demarcation problem”?

Answer 14

the “demarcation problem” is the question of how to distinguish between science, and non-science. It examines the lines between science, pseudoscience, and other products of human activity, like art and literature, and beliefs.

Question 15

What is meant by “emperical evidence”?

Answer 15

Emperical means the information rely on or

is derived from observation, experimentation, or measurement.

Question 16

Beliefs in; palm reading, graphology, fortune-telling, numerology, astrology are unscientific approaches that is widespread,
even in scientifically advanced countries? - True or false?

Answer 16

True.

Question 17

Why does belief in psychic abilities and other forms of pseudoscience persist?

Answer 17

• It gives people a sense of control and predictability in a confusing world(; indeed, our brains are probably wired to look for patterns in events, even when no patterns exist)
• Pseudoscience also confirms our existing beliefs and prejudices, whereas scientific psychology often challenges them.

Question 18

Describe the term “Critical Thinking”?

Answer 18

Critical thinking - The ability and willingness to assess claims and make judgments on the basis of well supported reasons and evidence rather than emotion or anecdote.

Question 19

A test in critical thinking can lead to overthinking, and worsen a persons results over the semester? - True or False?

Answer 19

False, “a critical-thinking test early in the course showed the greatest improvement over the semester.”

Question 20

Critical thinkers are able to look for ____ in arguments and to resist claims that ___ _ ______.

Answer 20

Critical thinkers are able to look for “flaws” in arguments and to resist claims that “have no support”.

Question 21

What are the eight critical-thinking guidelines hinted below?

1. A__ Q________
2. D_____ Y___ T____
3. E______ T__ E_______
4. A______ A__________ A__ B_____
5. A____ E________ R________
6. D___ O___________
7. C_______ O____ I______________
8. T_______ U__________

Answer 21

1. Ask questions
2. Define your terms
3. Examine the evidence
4. Analyze assumptions and biases
5. Avoid emotional reasoning
6. Don’t oversimplify
7. Consider other interpretations
8. Tolerate uncertainty

Question 22

Are there such thing as the “perfect critical thinker”?

Answer 22

No, Critical thinking is a process, not a once-and-for-all accomplishment. No one ever becomes a perfect critical thinker, entirely unaffected by emotional reasoning and wishful thinking. We are all less open-minded than we think; it is always easier to poke holes in another person’s argument than to critically examine our own position.

Question 23

Name the 3 reasons “why is it important to know about psychological myths?”

Answer 23

• can be harmful
• cause indirect damage
• The acceptance of psychological myths can impede our critical thinking in other areas.

Question 24

Name “The 10 sources of psychological myths:Your mythbusting kit” listed below:

1. W___-of-M____
2. D_____ for e___ a_____ and q_____ f____
3. S________ p_________ and m_____
4. I________ c________ from c__________
5. P___ h__, e___ p______ h__ r________
6. E_______ to a b_____ s_____
7. R________ by r_________________
8. M_________ f___ and m____ p_________
9. E__________ of a k____ of t____
10. T_____________ c________

Answer 24

1. Word-of-Mouth
2. Desire for easy answer and quick fixes
3. Selective perception and memory
4. Inferring causation from correlation
5. Post hoc, ergo propter hoc reasoning
6. Exposure to a biased sample
7. Reasoning by representativeness
8. Misleading film and media portrayals
9. Exaggeration of a kernel of truth
10. Terminological confusion