Questions • You may not “double-dip” in regards to the HSP/REC requirement • Must specify class when signing up • Cozby as an e-book? • Different section with different instructor
Dec 26, 2015
Questions
• You may not “double-dip” in regards to the HSP/REC requirement• Must specify class when signing up
• Cozby as an e-book?• Different section with different instructor
The History of Human Understanding
• Metaphysical Systems:• Attributing behavior or
experiences to nonphysical forces such as spirits or deities
• Violates scientists’ established physical laws
The History of Human Understanding
• Animism• Belief that natural phenomena are alive and influence behavior
• Possession of animal parts endows the owner with psychological
aspects of the animal
• Wind, sun, and rain have temperaments
• Plato – “the universe is alive and has a soul”
• Aristotle – gravity reflects the desire of physical objects to return to mother earth
The History of Human Understanding
• Mythology and religion• Deities of spiritual rather than
physical existence• More sophisticated explanations
than animism• Non-physical forces influence
behavior• Important: science can’t determine
whether right or wrong – just different than science
• Difference set of assumptions• Both attempt to explain
behavior
The History of Human Understanding
• Astrology• Human behavior is
determined by the activity of celestial bodies
• Relegated to mere entertainment
The History of Human Understanding
• Philosophy• Study of knowledge and
behavior through logic, intuition, and observation
• Early philosophers were influenced by popular beliefs
• Descartes accepted notion that nerves were hollow tubes that “animal spirits” were carried through
The History of Human Understanding
• Physiology and Physical Sciences
• Study of the functions of the interrelations between different
parts of the brain and body
• The scientific method is used in physiology
• Physiologists taught psychologists the value of careful, systematic experimentation through
observation.
CHAPTER 1CHAPTER 1
SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF BEHAVIOR
LEARNING OBJECTIVESLEARNING OBJECTIVES
Explain the reasons for understanding research methods
Describe the scientific approach to learning about behavior, and contrast it with pseudoscientific research
LEARNING OBJECTIVESLEARNING OBJECTIVES
Learn about the four goals of scientific research: description, prediction, determination of cause, and explanation of behavior
Define basic and applied research
The Science of PsychologyThe Science of Psychology
• Freud & modern psychology
• Modern psychological methods
• Why is the scientific method important?• Systematic Empiricism• Public Knowledge
• Replication
• Peer Review (beware if bypassed)
• Answerable Questions
The Science of PsychologyThe Science of Psychology
• The Scientific Method
The Science of PsychologyThe Science of Psychology
• Answerable Questions = Testable Theories• “Testable” is always changing
• But why do we need all this? Isn’t it commonsense?• Many commonsense beliefs have been tested
(teenage employment, aggression & self-esteem, 10% of our brain)
USES OF RESEARCH METHODSUSES OF RESEARCH METHODS
Increasingly important in public policy and judicial decisions
Homework AssignmentImportant when developing and assessing
the effectiveness of goal oriented programs
THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACHTHE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
Limitations of IntuitionIntuition relies unquestioningly on personal
judgment Reflect our need to impose orderEg. Bad things happen in 3’sInvolves cognitive and motivational biases
Erroneous conclusions about cause and effectExample: Illusory correlation
THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACHTHE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
• Allows you to be skeptical of authority
• Examples of Authority• News media• Books• Government officials
• Internet
THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACHTHE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
Skepticism, Science, and the Empirical ApproachEmpiricismFalsifiabilityPeer review
Integrating Intuition, Skepticism, and Authority
Elements of Goodstein’s Evolved Elements of Goodstein’s Evolved Theory of ScienceTheory of Science
Observations accurately reported to others
+Search for discovery and verification of ideas
+
Open exchange and competition among ideas
+
Peer review of research
GOALS OF SCIENCEGOALS OF SCIENCE
Description of BehaviorPrediction of Behavior (Ex. Eating & test
performance)
Determining the Causes of BehaviorTemporal precedenceCovariation of the cause and effectAlternative explanations
Explanation of Behavior
BASIC AND APPLIED BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCHRESEARCH
Basic ResearchFundamental questions about the nature
of behavior
- Theoretical issues often concern basic phenomena such as cognition, emotion, motivation, learning, psychobiology, personality development, and social behavior.
BASIC AND APPLIED BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCHRESEARCH
Applied ResearchConducted to address issues in which
there are practical problems and potential solutions.
Program evaluation
BASIC AND APPLIED BASIC AND APPLIED RESEARCHRESEARCH
• Comparing Basic and Applied Research• Neither is considered superior to the other
• Applied research is often guided by theories and findings of basic research
• Findings in applied settings often require modification of existing theories and spur more basic research