This is not fear factor….

WELCOME TO RESEACH METHODS

Fall 2013Lecture 1 – Chapter 1

Hebbian Yerkes-Dodson Law

YOU

Psychology Has Many Faces:Science, Academic Discipline, Healing Profession

ClinicianResearcher

Understand Research Methods

Teacher

Behavioral Neuroscientist…

Behavior in relation to the Brain

Strong Background in Research Methods!

Psychology

What is science?

"the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena."

Who Does It?• intellectual activity done by humans

• satisfies a human desire

• stems from need to overcome ignorance & fear

humanshumans PassionPassion

Science: a process of inquiry

Basic Curiosity“We Ask Questions of Nature And

Get Answers” D.E. Moss

The process of formulating specific questions and then finding answers

…better understanding…

Inquiry…Can be hazardous to your health…

Questioned Outcome

Socrates Hemlock

Moral & Ethics

Galileo House Arrest

Church Dogma/Geocentrism

Darwin Ridicule

EvolutionNatural Selection

Creation

VATICAN CITY -- It's official: The Earth revolves around the sun, even for the Vatican.

The Roman Catholic Church has admitted erring these past 359 years in formally condemning Galileo for entertaining scientific truths it long denounced as anti-scriptural heresy.

Vatican admits Galileo correctLos Angeles Times, October 31, 1992

Psychology: the science of human & non human animal behavior

Goal: gather an organized body of knowledge

Psychological research seeks scientific explanation for behavior

1. Tenacity: accept explanation because it has been accepted for so long or repeated so often

2. Intuition: feels intuitively true

3. Authority: accepting explanation based in who gives the explanation (respected)

Top 10…top 3 reason that an explanation is not scientific

Demands….not so much

1. Empirical: based on observable evidence

2. Testable: verifiable through direct observation

3. Rational: follow rules of logic, consistent with known facts (not based on assumptions known to be false or beliefs)

Top 10…top 3 reasons that an explanation is scientific

Demands much….

Homework#2

Non Scientific: Pseudoscience does not use scientific method…

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/bad-science-quiz.htm

Pseudoscience Non Scientific: does not use scientific method…

but pretends to…

includes beliefs, theories, or practices that have been or are considered scientific, but have no basis in scientific fact. This could mean they were disproved scientifically, can’t be tested or lack evidence to support them. 

- Leptoprin

- 9 out of 10 Dentists…

- makeup: reverse the aging process

lab coats, actors, anecdotal, testimonies

Pseudoscience Related to Space and Astronomy Examples! 2012 Phenomenon - end of the worldCrop Circles - made by aliensFace on Mars - A rock formation: evidence of life

Pseudoscience Related to the EarthCryptozoology - search for Bigfoot (Yeti), Loch Ness monster, El Chupacabra

Pseudoscience Related to the ParanormalChanneling - Involves communicating with a spirit through a personElectronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) - Used by ghost hunters to record messages from spiritsExtra-sensory Perception (ESP) - clairvoyance, telepathy, levitation Numerology - A belief in a relationship between certain numbers and people or events

Pseudoscience Related to PsychologyConversion Therapy - change a person’s sexual preference (homosexual to heterosexual)Hypnosis - method of deep relaxation where the subject is open to suggestionsPsychoanalysis – Freud

Other Pseudoscience ExamplesFeng Shui - A Chinese method of arranging objects and living spaces in a certain wayHandwriting Analysis - A belief that a person’s personality can be seen in their handwriting

Homework#2

Is the TummyTuckBelt Pseudoscience?

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/bad-science-quiz.htm

Scientific explanations strive to be:

1. Parsimonious: offer the least complex explanation that requires the fewest assumptions

2. General: can be applied to more than the original set of circumstances – broad explanatory power

3. Tentative (Skepticism): readily replaced by better explanation

Occam’s Razor: “Do not multiply hypotheses unduly”

Choose the simplest explanation!!!!

Occam’s Razor: “Do not multiply hypotheses unduly”

Choose the simplest explanation!!!!

Everyday Scientific

General approach intuitive empirical

Observation casual, uncontrolled systematic, controlled

Reporting biased, subjective unbiased, objective

Concepts ambiguous clear definitions

Instruments inaccurate, imprecise accurate, precise

Measurement not valid or reliable valid and reliable

Hypotheses untestable testable

Attitude uncritical, accepting critical, skeptical

 

Characteristics of the scientific method vs human nature

4. Collection of facts?4. Collection of facts?

6. Technology?6. Technology?

5. Finished Product?5. Finished Product?

2. Objective search for the truth?2. Objective search for the truth?

1. Immediate solution to practical problem?1. Immediate solution to practical problem?

3. Grows continuously? 3. Grows continuously?

1. Immediate solution to practical problem?1. Immediate solution to practical problem?

Immediate solutions: NO!Science proceeds slowly…

“Shifts in Paradigms”

EX: Classical ConditioningPavlov vs Garcia

NS(CS) +UCS = UCR(CR)

“Any natural phenomenon chosen at will may be converted into a conditioned stimulus…any visual stimulus, any desired sound, any odor, and stimulation of any part of the skin” (Pavlov, 1928)

Can anything be turned into a CS?

“Equipotentiality Hypothesis”

Taste Aversion doesn’t follow CC, or Equipotentiality Theory

Bell: NS(CS) +Meat: UCS = Salivate UCR(CR)

What is Science?

Search for the Truth: NO!Implies there is one right answer

every phenomena…tentative...

What is Science?

Just a Collection of Facts: NO!

Integration of data but also theory driven –

relating data to principles (theories)

What is Science?

Technology: NO!

Immediate contribution to human welfare

Ex: The Genome Project

J. Craig VenterCelera Genomic

<>

Francis Collins Human Genome Project (NIH)

Sequencing of the human genome: “the book if life”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=genomeprj&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Overview&list_uids=9558

What is Science?

Finished Product: NO!

One experiment inevitably leads to other questions…serendipity!

Serendipity!! Electrical Stimulation of frog

legs

Contraction of the muscles

Followed up with “Animal Electricity”

Luigi Galvani(1596-1650)

Italian PhysicianPhysicist

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors:

•Iproniazid •First antidepressant (1957) - Treatment for TB

A flop!…serendipity intervened

What is Science?

Science Grows Continuously: NO!

Science grows awkwardly

One direction then another direction..Science has a history of fads (style that interests many people for a short time)

Ex: Schools of Psychology

Structuralism: the study of the structure of conscious experience

(1832-1920)

50 years

• moved psychological study from the domain of philosophy and the natural sciences and began to utilize physiological experimental techniques in the laboratory – SCIENCE

• moved psychological study from the domain of just the “mind” to behavior

• influence of Darwin - animal research• applied research (practical questions ie., education, training,

developmental)

Functionalism: Consciousness as well as behavior must serve

some sort of purpose – the function of the mind

William James (1842-1910)“my thinking is first, last always for the sake of

doing”

Professor at HarvardTaught first class in experimental Psych

in US

50 years

Behaviorism:

All other schools to mentalistic and to subjective – not observable, not science

Focus is on relationship between the environment and behavior

John Watson (1878-1957)University of Chicago

Johns Hopkins

moved psychological away from the mind – only behavior transferred all mentalistic content into S-R: “we only think we think” animal research (Pavlov. Skinner) Against Freud!

60 years

No longer One School of Psychology

Biological Psychology

Cognitive Psychology Social Psychology

Clinical PsychologyNeuropsychology

Developmental Psychology

Homework Assignment #1: Read Goodstein (2000) Article

“How Science Works”

Read Article for Wed. Class Discussion-answer question in group discussion-present answers as a group in class

If you did not read, you will be asked to leave during discussion