PSYC 1000 Lecture Notes - Cognitive Psychology, Falsifiability, Confounding
Document Summary
Psychology: the scientific study of behavior, thought, and experience, and how they can be affected by physical, mental, social, and environmental factors. Every topic in psychology is examined from multiple perspectives, such as biological, sociocultural, or cognitive (thinking). Hypothesis: a testable prediction about processes that can be observed and measured. A theory or prediction is falsifiable if: it is precise enough that it could be proven false. Critical thinking: exercises curiosity and skepticism about assumptions and beliefs. Theory: an explanation for a broad range of observations that also generates new hypotheses and integrates numerous findings into a coherent whole. Theories are not the same as opinions or beliefs. The quality of a theory is not related to the number of people who believe it to be true. Theories are general principles or explanations of some aspect of the world (including human behaviours), whereas hypotheses are specific predictions that can test the theory or, more realistically, specific parts of that theory.
