PSYC1020 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Germ Theory Of Disease, Blind Experiment, Simple Random Sample
Lecture 2 - Scientific Research, Statistics and Introduction to Nervous System
Review
● looked at why you might study Psychology
○ To show how interesting and diverse psych is
● The various branches of basic research, Applied, and Clinical Psychology
● looked at a preliminary account of the nature of Psychology
● examined the history of Psychology and its legacy in six influential frameworks in
Psychology
○ Each frameworks has weaknesses
The nature of scientific research
● Scientific research-based on an integration of rationalism and empiricism
● Rationalism-view that knowledge is produced by reasoning using logical argumentation
and debate
○ weakness-our best arguments and theories can turn out to be false
● Empiricism-view that knowledge is produced by using the senses to observe and
experience the world
○ weakness-we have often conflicting experimental results and we can never
collect all the data
● Each one has a weakness; neither one is perfect
● Integrating the two together makes a stronger and self-correcting process
○ Experiments correct our theories, theories guides our experiments
● Experiments used to test our most rational hypotheses
● We use argumentation and debate to interpret the experimental results and determine
where and how we should look for new empirical evidence
● Science
○ back and forth between theoretical debate ← → experimental competition
○ always trying to self-correct and self-improve
● In science we make predictions-hypotheses about variables
○ variable-object, concept or event being measure; can take on dif values
● hypothesis-a testable prediction about processes that can be observed and measured
○ Can subject it to empirical observation!
● Falsifiability-hypothesis can be put into an experiment so that it is possible for our
prediction to be wrong= testable
○ safeguard against projective bias – we tend to “see” things in a way that
conforms to and confirms what we already believe or expect to be the case
■ We all have a bias
■ We need to set up experiments, so its possible so your prediction
could be false and you will be able to acknowledge it
● If we our hypothesis is such that it cannot be shown wrong no matter what the results,
then we have rigged things to protect our bias
● Ex. Freud and anal personality; ppl w/ anal personality will be miserly
○ If ppl are not miserly, freud might argue that non miserly, anal ppl have used a
defence mechanism to turn this trait into something else
○ There is no way for freud to be wrong; he is gathering data, but data
doesn’t have the power to change what freud believes
■ If your setting up your experiment that is non-falsifiable, then
you're saying data doesn't matter
○ Falsifiability-guarantees that the data matters
● A hypothesis
○ a rationally derived to be consistent with an existing theory or prior observations
from descriptive methods
○ should be as simple as possible
● more variables in an hypothesis = greater the number of possibilities in which they may
be interacting
○ Thus, more variables=increased complexity of experiment
● Complex experiments-hard to run and hard to interpret
● hypothesis should be
○ specific by making clear exactly what we will be measuring
○ what we will be manipulating
○ what we are predicting will be the effects of the manipulation
● This is usually accomplished by making use of operational definitions
○ Operational definition: statements that describe the procedures (or operations)
and specific measures that are used to record observations
○ Hypothesis needs to be very specific: if not, it rly challenges how
falsifiable your hypothesis and it becomes easy to manipulate your view
to confirm your hypothesis
● Ex. about operational definition-compare two hypotheses:
○ People who play violent video games will exhibit more aggressive behavior than
people who do not play violent video games
■ Aggressive behavior=too ambiguous
○ What is aggressive behavior?
○ People who play violent video games hit, kick, bite or push others more
frequently than people who do not play violent video games
○ Practice of science reveals how self-deceptive we are
● What is the point of collecting evidence for hypothesises?
○ Ultimately we want to use this evidence to explain how the world operates
=theory
■ Theory: an explanation for a broad range of observations that also
generates new hypothesis and integrates new finding into a coherent
whole
○ Goal of science: to come up w/ theories
● Explanations-arguments that logically link causal predictions together
● Theories are higher order arguments that link explanations together, and link these
explanations to evidence
● Wrong definition of theory: a guess or a hunch or some unsubstantiated speculation
Document Summary
Lecture 2 - scientific research, statistics and introduction to nervous system. Review looked at why you might study psychology. To show how interesting and diverse psych is. The various branches of basic research, applied, and clinical psychology. Examined the history of psychology and its legacy in six influential frameworks in looked at a preliminary account of the nature of psychology. Scientific research-based on an integration of rationalism and empiricism. Rationalism-view that knowledge is produced by reasoning using logical argumentation and debate. Weakness-our best arguments and theories can turn out to be false. Empiricism-view that knowledge is produced by using the senses to observe and experience the world. Weakness-we have often conflicting experimental results and we can never collect all the data. Each one has a weakness; neither one is perfect. Integrating the two together makes a stronger and self-correcting process. Experiments correct our theories, theories guides our experiments. Experiments used to test our most rational hypotheses.
