PSYC 2030 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Pseudoscience, Falsifiability, Confirmation Bias

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2030
• Professor: Rebecca Jubis

Document Summary

Solid foundation for understanding info. in other psyc courses (along w/ stats) Makes you a critical thinker, to evaluate research findings for yourself. Also look @ notes from 1st lecture critical thinking - a form of precise thinking in which a p. reasons about relevant evidence to draw a sound/good conclusion . Judge quality of evidence, fair & unbiased. 4 ways; first 3 are flawed: authority - source is expert in a particular area. {parents, textbooks, professors: logic & reasoning. Can be used to reach opposing conclusions. Labeled a priori method of acquiring knowledge - beliefs are developed as a result of a logical argument, before the person has direct exp. w/ phenomena: empiricism - acquiring knowledge thru direction observation/experience and reflection problems: Early method: introspection: precise self-report, no objective way to verify; is subjective. Psychologists are skeptical optimists - open to new ideas but won"t accept w/o evidence pseudoscience - not science.