PSYC 1010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Daniel Kahneman
20 May 2018
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PSYC 1010 Chapter 7 Notes
Introduction
Correlation and Causation
• It worsens (regresses toward average) after we warmly praise them for an exceptionally
fine performance.
• Ironically, then, regression toward the average can mislead us into feeling rewarded for
having criticized others and into feeling punished for having praised them (Tversky &
Kahneman, 1974).
• The point to remember: When a fluctuating behavior returns to normal, there is no
need to invent fancy explanations for why it does so.
• Regression toward the mean is probably at work.
• Consider some recent newsworthy correlations
• “tudy fids that ireased paretal support for ollege results i loer grades Jashik,
2013).
• People ith etal illess ore likely to e sokers, study fids Belluk, .
• Tees ho play ature-rated, risk-glorifying video games [tend] to become reckless
driers Boe, .
• What shall we make of these correlations?
• Do they indicate that students would achieve more if their parents would support them
less?
• That stopping smoking would improve mental health?
• That abstaining from video games would make reckless teen drivers more responsible?
• No, because such correlations do not come with built-in cause-effect arrows.
• But correlations do help us predict.
• An example: Parenthood is associated with happiness (Nelson et al., 2013, 2014).
• So, does having children make people happier?
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