PSYC 110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Pseudoscience, Opportunity Cost, Confounding
Document Summary
What is pseudoscience: that in which doesn"t use the scienti c method. Warning signs: exaggerated claims, reliance on anecdotes, no connection to other research, lack of peer review, lack of self correction, psychobabble, proof instead of evidence . Pseudoscience is harmless . or is it: opportunity cost, direct harm, inability to think scienti cally. Scienti c skepticism: being open to new ideas and being able to analyze these ideas through a lens backed by prior knowledge. Critical thinking: a lifelong skill, a thorough investigation before making a decision about it. They are related in some way, they change at the same time. Confounding variables: what about third variables. Variable a has a direct correlation to variable b ( a: independent, b: dependent ) A at time 1 and b at time 2. Social media is destroying the youth of our nation. : falsi ability: social expectations. Replicability: ability to use the same methodology and get the same results.
