PSY 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Illusory Correlation, Pseudoscience, Psy
27 Sep 2016
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Document Summary
Pseudoscience are a set of claims that seem scientific, but are not. Warning signs: exaggerated claims! (can cure cancer) absence of connectivity to other (extraordinary results are being achieved) Overreliance on anecdotes (some who suffer) lack of peer review, Lack of self-correction, proof instead of evidence (now proven), Illusory correlation- assumes an association between two variables, when in fact no demonstrable relationship exists. Correlation-causation fallacy- error in assuming that because one thing is associated with another, it must cause the other. Correlation is not causation because you cannot establish which one came first. Be aware of metaphysical claims that cannot be disproved! Parsimony- if two explanations account equally well for a phenomenon, select the simpler of the two. Those who believe that vaccines do cause autism, cite the following evidence: As the number of world- wide vaccinations have increased, si have autism rates. Symptoms of autism often appear after children receive their routing.
