PSY1HPM Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Sampling Bias, Neurochemistry, Selective Perception
2 Jul 2018
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HPM Lecture 1 – Why Study Psychology
Why study Psychology?
Relevant to understanding ourselves and others
Aids in the understanding of Biology (genes and Physiology), environment and behaviour relationships
Attempts to delineate fact from intuition
Promotes critical, logical evaluation of evidence in order to reach reasoned conclusions.
Psychmythology
Why understanding assumptions is so important, ten sources of misconceptions about research findings in
psychology
Word of mouth
Desire for easy answers and quick fixes
Selective perception and memory
Inferring causation from correlation
Post hoc, Ergo propter hoc reasoning
Exposure to a biased sample
Reasoning by representativeness
Misleading film and media portrayals
Exaggeration of a kernel of truth
Terminological confusion
Research Examples in Psychology – Translations in Popular media
We only use 10% or 20% of our brain
People with Autism are like the ‘Rain Man’ …. Or the ’Good Doctor’
• Autism is a spectrum disorder with a very wide range of capabilities.
Polygraph tests are always accurate in detecting when people are lying
• Assesses levels of physiological arousal, related to lying but can also be associated with high degrees
of stress
• Can be tricked
Subliminal messages can alter behaviour and make people buy things
• Brief, rapid presentation of stimuli may ‘prime’ attention towards a particular piece of information
(increase salience), but no evidence that we are subconsciously driven to make certain purchases as a
result.
13 Reasons why & Split
Different Levels of Analysis
Each discipline in Psychology provides insight into different aspects of behaviour
Biological – Brain Systems, Neurochemistry, Genetics
Individual – Individual differences, perception, cognition, behaviour
Social – Interpersonal behaviour, social cognition
Cultural – Thoughts, actions, behaviours – in different societies and cultural groups
Scientific Method
Description - Coherent set of interconnected ideas(theory) typically built on past observation
Prediction - Hypotheses based on theory setting out parameters
Control - Attempt to eliminate biasing influences
Explanation - Systematic evaluation of observations in reference to theory and hypothesis.
- Theory, Hypothesis, Research, Support and theory or reuse or fail to support the theory
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Aids in the understanding of biology (genes and physiology), environment and behaviour relationships. Promotes critical, logical evaluation of evidence in order to reach reasoned conclusions. Why understanding assumptions is so important, ten sources of misconceptions about research findings in psychology. Research examples in psychology translations in popular media. We only use 10% or 20% of our brain. People with autism are like the rain man" . Or the "good doctor": autism is a spectrum disorder with a very wide range of capabilities. Polygraph tests are always accurate in detecting when people are lying: assesses levels of physiological arousal, related to lying but can also be associated with high degrees of stress, can be tricked. Each discipline in psychology provides insight into different aspects of behaviour. Cultural thoughts, actions, behaviours in different societies and cultural groups. Description - coherent set of interconnected ideas(theory) typically built on past observation. Prediction - hypotheses based on theory setting out parameters.
