PSY 313 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Tooth Fairy, Chicken Soup, Oxygen Sensor
Research Methology: one way of acquiring knowledge. An attempt to distill truth from
observations and manipulations of the world. Don’t always know the truth but by gaining
info and modifying our beliefs we learn more. It’s a constant effort. Comes from actual
data from the world. Changes over time- keep learning more about the world.
Methods of acquiring knowledge
Method of Tenacity: We believe something because its been around for a long time.
Tenacity means you hold on.
- Opposites attract, chicken soup cures a cold.
Method of Authority/ Faith: We believe something because someone you
trust/expert/authority figure says it is true.
- Your car needs a new oxygen sensor
- Medical diagnosis- go to doctor they do tests and they say what you have but
you trust them
- The tooth fairy put money under your pillow- If mom/dad tell you about tooth
fairy, you believe its true.
Method of Intuition: Believing something because it seems right to you.
- Hands free devices are safer than holding a cell phone.
- The coin toss will land on tails
The Rational Method: Use logic and reason to infer things.
- All birds have feathers, a flamingo is a bird, therefore it has feathers.
The Empirical Method: beliefs based on direct observation. Evidence/data based.
Based on what actually happens in the world and observing. Should be as free from
bias as possible.
- I am short
- It snows in Syracuse
- Hands free device does not prevent accidents
- Chicken soup may sure the common cold
What Makes a good research idea? (practice during observation lab)
- Logical: follows from facts or observations (but not necessary for a good idea)
- Testable: all variables are measured. Need to be able to test.
- Refutable/Falsifiable: can be proven wrong. Research that is possible to
have two outcomes.
Science is…
- Empirical: driven by evidence in the form of systematic observation
- Public: write papers, attend and present at conferences, distribute to policy
makers and popular media (scientific advisor to president; national academy
of science)
- Objective (not subjective): recognize and avoid bias. Get towards whatever
the truth is as much as we can. We use:
o Statistics
o Replication
o Collaboration: written by multiple people.
SCIENCE IS A CYCLE
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
An attempt to distill truth from observations and manipulations of the world. Don"t always know the truth but by gaining info and modifying our beliefs we learn more. Changes over time- keep learning more about the world. Method of tenacity: we believe something because its been around for a long time. Opposites attract, chicken soup cures a cold. Method of authority/ faith: we believe something because someone you trust/expert/authority figure says it is true. Your car needs a new oxygen sensor. Medical diagnosis- go to doctor they do tests and they say what you have but you trust them. The tooth fairy put money under your pillow- if mom/dad tell you about tooth fairy, you believe its true. Method of intuition: believing something because it seems right to you. Hands free devices are safer than holding a cell phone. The coin toss will land on tails. The rational method: use logic and reason to infer things.
