The Science of PsychologyThe Science of Psychology

What is something you believe to be true?

How did you arrive at that belief?

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Ways to Acquire KnowledgeWays to Acquire Knowledge Tenacity

Acceptance of knowledge because it has been repeated

Authority Acceptance of knowledge from

authorities

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Ways to Acquire KnowledgeWays to Acquire Knowledge Reason and Logic

Start with an assumption Logically deduce consequences based on

that assumption Experience

Gaining knowledge through direct experience

EmpiricismEmpiricism

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Ways to Acquire KnowledgeWays to Acquire Knowledge Science

Way of thinking about and observing the universe to learn truth

Determinism Discoverability

How does science solve the problems associated with other ways of acquiring knowledge?

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Characteristics of the Scientific Characteristics of the Scientific MethodMethod

Objectivity Empirical observation; quantifiable

measurements Confirmation of Findings

Replication: Others can repeat procedures to confirm original results

Peer Review: Process by which a paper is published after being critiqued by other scientists

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Characteristics of the Scientific Characteristics of the Scientific MethodMethod

Self-Correction Errors and faulty reasoning should be

corrected as they are discovered Falsifiability

Control Accounting for or preventing the effect

of unwanted factors Direct manipulation of factors of major

interest to determine their effects

PseudosciencePseudoscience Associates with true science

Anecdotal evidence

Sidesteps disproof

Reductionistic

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Research MethodsResearch Methods

Nonexperimental Methods: Archival research Naturalistic

observation Surveys Case studies Correlational

research Experimental Method

Advantages Describe and

predict behavior Useful when ethical

considerations prevent true experimentation

Causality

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Experimentation in a NutshellExperimentation in a Nutshell Variable:Variable: Event or behavior that can assume at least

two values

Independent Variable (IV) The variable the experimenter manipulates

Physiological Experience Environmental Participant characteristics are often treated as IVs

Dependent Variable (DV) The variable that is measured

Can be measured lots of ways: Number correct Frequency Amount Duration

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Experimental ResearchExperimental Research For an experiment, you need at least

two conditions: Treatment condition

They receive the manipulation you created Control condition

They do not receive your manipulation

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Manipulation, Comparison,Manipulation, Comparison,and Controland Control

IVMusic

No Music

DV

Heart Rate