Research Methods Chapter 1 learning objectives 12 8 11 4 46 PM 1 What are four primary ways to acquire knowledge and what are the differences between these four ways Which of these ways is the most common way for researchers to acquire knowledge Intuition 2 Deduction 3 Authority world world 1 Relying on common sense as a means of knowing about the world 2 Ex I suddenly recognize the solution to a crossword puzzle o Using logical reasoning and current knowledge as a means of knowing about the o Ex The sun is setting to my right so if I turn right I will be headed west o Relying on a knowledgeable person or a group as a means of knowing about the o Ex I know that a high white blood cell count indicates an infection because that is what my high school biology teacher said 4 Observation most common way for researchers to acquire knowledge o Relying on what one observes as a means of knowing about the world o Ex The results of a survey indicate that most Americans get an average of 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night 2 What are the four facets or canons that define the scientific method How are these four canons applied in psychological research Empiricism 1 Gaining knowledge through systematic observation of the world 2 Observing behavior gives researchers a more accurate understanding of the causes of behaviors than other methods of gaining knowledge 3 How empiricism is applied to psychological research Observe people in their normal environment a E g children on a playground at recess Completing surveys a E g have them respond to items that help us measure their mood Complete a task on a computer in a lab a E g test their memory for different types of information Determinism Parsimony to be correct 1 The assumption that phenomena have identifiable causes 2 By conducting studies to observe behavior we can understand the factors that cause those behaviors to occur 3 How determinism is applied to psychological research Researchers begin with a prediction about what causes behavior and look for behaviors they can observe in their study that are consistent or inconsistent with that prediction 1 The assumption that the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is most likely 2 Researchers develop explanations of behavior starting with the simplest descriptions and expanding those descriptions only when it becomes clear that a behavior is more complex than their original description of it It is assumed that the simpler explanation is more likely to be correct 3 4 How parsimony is applied to psychological research Helps scientists test their ideas more easily because it is easier to develop a study that might falsify a simple explanation than to develop a study that might falsify a more complex explanation Falsification is an important part of the research process 1 The assumption that explanations of behavior can be tested and falsified through observation 2 A test of an explanation of a behavior that allows that explanation to be falsified provides stronger test of that explanation 3 How testability is applied to psychological research Falsification of explanations of behavior advances psychological science much more than supporting explanations a Whenever researchers can show that an accepted explanation is not supported it changes the direction of investigation in an area of research and moves psychological science forward in gaining knew knowledge about behavior Testability 3 What is pseudoscience How is this different from science Literally false science A set of ideas based on theories put forth as scientific when they are not scientific Distinguishing Science from Pseudoscience Dissemination 1 Science 2 Pseudoscience Findings published in peer reviewed publications using standards for honesty and accuracy aimed at scientists PExperiments must be precisely described and be reproducible Reliable results are demanded Scientific failures are carefully scrutinized and studied for reasons for failure Over time and continued research more and more is learned about scientific phenomena Self correcting Idiosyncratic findings and blunders average out and do not affect the actual phenomenon under study Scientists convince others based on evidence and research findings making the best case permitted by existing data Old ideas discarded in the light of new evidence Scientist has no personal stake in a specific outcome of a study Goal Find the truth whatever that may be Findings disseminated to general public via sources that are not peer reviewed Not prepublication review for precision or accuracy Studies if any are vaguely defined and cannot be reproduced easily Results cannot be reproduced Failures are ignored minimized explained away rationalized or hidden a Confirmation bias No underlying mechanisms are identified and no new research is done No progress is made and nothing concrete is learned False alarms chance results are the only supporting evidence Attempts to convince based on belief and faith rather than facts Belief encouraged in spite of facts not because of them Ideas never discarded regardless of the evidence Serious conflicts of interest Pseudoscientist often makes his or her living off of pseudoscientific products or services 4 What is a pseudoexplanation How is this different from an alternative explanation Alternative label for behavior masks as an explanation Must have independent measures of behavior and explanatory concept to avoid this 1 A circular explanation where does aggressive behavior come from 2 Aggressive behavior proves the existence of aggressive instinct causes aggressive behavior Alternative explanation is another way to explain the results that is NOT the same trap concept 5 What is the difference between basic and applied research How is external validity related to these concepts Basic research o Conducted to evaluate theories or empirical positions o Goal is to acquire information about a phenomena o Little emphasis on application to real world problems Applied Research o Evaluates real world problem o Hypothesis may come from theory but goal is to apply results to real world problem Substantial overlap between basic and applied research o Each type of research has implications for the other External Validity o The degree to which the results of a study apply to individuals and realistic behaviors outside the study o Because applied research investigates realistic problems applied researchers are often concerned with the external validity of their studies o
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