Chapter 1: Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

1. Chapter 1:Thinking Critically With Psychological Science Vyborny

2. DAY 1 OBJECTIVES -Define hindsight bias. -Explain how overconfidence contaminates our everyday judgments. -Explain how the scientific attitude encourages critical thinking.

3. Graphology Assignment On a blank sheet of paper, write the following sentences in cursive writing. 1) Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. 2) I like _________________(fav. dessert). 3) Sign your signature.

4. Answer yes or no to the following 25 questions: • Does your writing slant forward to the right? • Does your writing slant backhand to the left? • Does writing go in all directions? • Are letter formations large? • Are letter formations small? • Is capital “I” very large? • Is capital “I” very small? • Is penmenship a combination of printing and cursive writing?

5. Are “I” dots omitted? • Are “I” dots made with a circle? • Are “I” dots flung high and away from the letters? • Do lines of writing run uphill? • Do lines of writing descend downhill? • Does writing go up and down? • Is writing done with heavy pressure? • Is writing done with light pressure? • Are letter formations rounded? • Are letter formations angular?

6. Are letters in the words connected? • Are letters in the words disconnected? • Are “g” and “f” and other looped letters made with straight lines. • Do large spaces appear between words and lines of writing. • Are spaces between words and lines very narrow. • Is signature a different size and slant from the handwriting? • Is signature underlined?

7. If you answered yes to the following questions, then: • You are extroverted and affectionate. • You are an introvert and withhold feelings. • Your mind and heart conflict. • You are interested in people. • You concentrate on facts and details. • You like being noticed and you’re prideful. • You lack self-assertiveness • You’re versatile in ideas and desires.

8. You do not focus on details. • You have an artistic flair. • You are enthusiastic and imaginative. • You are an optimist and trusting. • You are a pessimist and skeptical.

9. Do we really need science to prove what we’ve known all along? • Humans have four tastes. • Humans have five senses. • Humans are born with all the brain cells they will ever have. • Vaccines may cause autism. • People use approximately 10% of their brains. • The brain is made up of neurons. • It is dangerous to wake up a sleepwalker. • The cracking of knuckles will cause arthritis. • Hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant. • Atlanta is east of Detroit.

10. How do you feel about probability? • You will receive a slip of paper. • Read it carefully and follow the directions. • You will write something. Don’t let anyone see your response. • When done, turn it over. • I will collect.

11. Hindsight Bias • The tendency to believe, AFTER LEARNING AN OUTCOME, that one would have foreseen the outcome • I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon

12. Experiment Results… • Control Group • Gave probability of crash/flood • Average %??? • Experimental Group • Gave probability of crash/flood after learning it had happened • Average %???

13. Often, thinks make perfect sense after the fact. • But sometimes, fact is counterintuitive. • Table 1.1???

14. We are often overconfident…are you? • Get out paper and take the test: http://www.wadsworth.com/psychology_d/templates/stripped_features/try_online/TIY/kalat_intro_17.html

15. So we do need psychological science…what’s it look like? • Be curious • Be a skeptic. • Be humble • Be a good consumer of information

16. Time for The Amazing Randi??? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTXmo4_LR4w

17. DAY 2 OBJECTIVES -Describe how psychological theories guide scientific research. -Compare and contrast case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation. -Explain the importance of random sampling.

19. Theory • An explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes observations and predicts behaviors or events • A useful summary of why something happens • Supported by provable hypotheses

20. Hypothesis • A testable prediction • Proven hypothesis=stronger theory • Unproven hypothesis=weaker theory

21. Operational Definitions • A statement of the procedures (operation) used to define research variables • Variables must be defined so the experiment may be replicated properly. • If students work hard, they will be successful in school.

22. Replication • Repeating a study with different participants and situations • Similar results=reliable results

23. What methods does psychology use to study behavior and mental processes? • Descriptive (case study, survey, naturalistic observation- these don’t explain behavior!) • Correlational (how factors relate) • Experimental (cause & effect)

24. Descriptive Studies: Case Study • Observation technique that studies one person in depth • Hopefully will reveal universal principles • Weaknesses???

25. Descriptive Studies: Survey • Technique for gathering self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a group • Issues with this? • Question a representative, random sample of the group

26. Wording effects (see handout) • Getting a representative sample • Why? Why do you want to survey everyone? • How? Choose a random sample of the population in which all people have the same chance of being chosen. (Can you do this for an entire country?) • Number of people in sample is not as important as it being a random sample. • Random Number Generator: • http://www.randomizer.org/form.htm

27. Descriptive Studies:Naturalistic Observation • Observe in environment • No manipulation of variables • Great place for research to start! • Are students engaged in this classroom? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAz7TD02ytU

28. DAY 3 OBJECTIVES -Describe positive and negative correlations. -Explain how correlational measures can aid the process of prediction but not provide evidence of cause-effect relationships. -Describe how people form illusory correlations. -Explain the human tendency to perceive order in random sequences.

29. What is correlation? • A measure of the degree to which two variables are related. • How well does one variable predict the other. • Measured as a correlation coefficient (r) • Ranges from -1 to +1 • Closer to -1 or +1 means a strong correlation

31. Positive Correlations • Correlational Coefficient is a positive number • r=0.02, 0.15, 0.29, .75, or 1.0 • This means that as one variable increases, so does the other

35. Negative Correlations • Correlational Coefficient is a negative number • r=-0.03, -0.45, -0.19, -.85, or -1.0 • This means that as one variable increases, the other decreases

37. What do correlations do and NOT do? • Correlations relate variables and looks at how one might predict the other • CORRELATION DOES NOT MEAN CAUSATION

38. Issues With Correlation • Illusory correlations • The perception of a relationship when none exists • “Infertile couples who adopt become more likely to conceive a child.” • Why is it people may believe this? • Perceiving order in random events • Odds of a full house vs. other “less valuable” cards

39. DAY 4 OBJECTIVES -Explain how experiments help researchers isolate cause and effect, focusing on the characteristics of experimentation that make this possible.

40. Experimentation • A research method • Researcher manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on a behavior or mental process

41. Random Assignment • Assigning participants to experimental and control groups by chance • This minimizes differences between the groups

42. Experimental Groupvs.Control Group • Experimental Group • Receives treatment • Control Group • Does not receive the treatment • We want to see the differences when testing

43. Independent Variable vs. Dependent Variable • Independent Variable • The variable that is manipulated in an experiment (CAUSE) • Dependent Variable • The variable that can change due to the independent variable (EFFECT)

44. Confounding Variable • A variable other than the independent variable that could explain the test results • We avoid this by controlling extraneous variables

45. Placebo Effect • An experimental result caused by expectations alone • Just thinking you are receiving a treatment can change you (body-mind connection) • VIDEO…

46. Double-Blind Procedure • Researcher and participant do not know who has received treatment and who has not received treatment • Used to prevent both participant and experimenter bias

48. DAY 5 OBJECTIVES -Discuss the importance of statistical principles. -Explain how data may be depicted graphically. -Describe the three measures of central tendency. -Identify the measure most affected by extreme scores. -Describe two measures of variation.

49. Discuss the importance of statistical principles. • Understanding statistical principals can serve you well with everyday reasoning! • Remember not to trust undocumented numbers

50. Explain how data may be depicted graphically. • Bar graphs…small differences can look big. • Read scale labels and note the range!!!