01:830:101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Institutional Review Board, Critical Thinking, Institutional Animal Care And Use Committee

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: 01:830:101
• Professor: ESTELLE MAYHEW

Document Summary

Independent variable: treats groups differently in some way. Operational definition: a definition that describes and measures a variable so the variable can be understood objectively. Confounds: factors other than the independent variable that may cause a result. Use the tools of the scientific method to overcome them. As scientists: we should evaluate all claims with an open mind and insist on persuasive evidence before accepting claims. Pathological skepticism : tendency to dismiss any claims that contradict one"s beliefs. Oberg"s dictum : premise that we should keep our minds open, but not so open that we believe virtually everything. Role of authority : we should be unwilling to accept claims on the basis of authority alone. Critical thinking: set of skills for evaluating all claims in an open-minded and careful fashion. Falsifiability: for a claim to be meaningful, it must be capable of being disproved. Risky prediction : forecast that stands a good chance of being wrong.