FIELD METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY
MODULE 1: RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY
UNIT 2: FORMS OF KNOWING
I. Distinguishing Research from other forms of knowing (Morling, 2018)
- Let us see how three sources of knowing (experience, intuition, and authority) are compared to
a more superior source of evidence: empirical research.
A. Research vis-à-vis experience
- Personal experiences, as well as the experiences of friends and family, are powerful sources
of information.
- No matter how representative experiences are to us, there are flaws to be considered.
- First, experience has no comparison group to enable us to compare with.
- To conclude that venting one’s anger helps because of personal experiences may not
necessarily be a general experience. Venting may help for you but does it for others?
- Second, experience is confounded because in everyday life, too much is going on at once.
- Change occur at random and we may not be quite sure what caused these.
- There are several possible explanations for an outcome in real life situations.
- In research, these alternatives explanations are called confounds.
- Essentially, a confound occurs when you think one thing caused an outcome but in fact
other things changed, too, so, you are confused about what the cause really was.
- What makes research a better source of information?
- Basing conclusions on systematic data collection has the simple but tremendous
advantage of providing a comparison group.
- In research setting, scientists can use careful controls to be sure they are changing
only one factor at a time.
- Take note that behavioural research is probabilistic.
- If a finding does not apply to your experience, it does not mean it’s wrong.
- The conclusions of research are meant to explain a certain proportion (preferably
a high proportion) of the possible cases and are not expected to explain all cases
all of the time.
B. Research vis-à-vis intuition
- Intuition is the use of our hunches about what seems “natural” or attempting to think
about things “logically.”
- While we may believe in our intuition, it can lead us to make less effective decisions
because intuition tends to become biased.
- When biased, we are easily swayed by a good story even when it is false because it
makes sense or feels natural.
- We may easily be persuaded by what comes to mind easily because of availability
heuristic.
- Biases may also lead us to overestimate events, to notice what is present and fail to
look for absences (present/present bias) which is another failure to consider
appropriate comparison groups.
, - Example: We conclude that venting is effective because we notice the times when both
the treatment (venting) and the desired outcome (feeling better) are present but are less
likely to notice the times when we didn’t express our anger and just felt better anyway.
- We could also focus on evidence that we like best as in the case of confirmation bias.
- We seek and accept only the evidence that supports what we already think.
- We could have a bias blind spot believing that we are less biased than others.
- The bias blind spot might be the sneakiest as it makes us trust our faulty reasoning even
more.
- What makes research a better source of information?
- The formal processes of scientific research help prevent these biases from
affecting our decisions.
- Rather than thinking what they want to, scientists use data.
C. Research vis-à-vis authority
- People—even those we trust—make claims as if they are facts.
- However, you should be cautious about basing your beliefs on what everybody says—
even when the claim is made by someone who is (or claims to be) an authority - as
cultural messengers, as professionals with advanced degrees, as people with significant
life experience.
- Before taking the advice of authorities, ask yourself about the source of their ideas.
- If an authority refers to research evidence—their advice might be worthy of attention.
- However, authorities can also base their advice on their own experience or intuition,
just like the rest of us.
- They too, might present only the studies that support their own side.
- Keep in mind, too, that not all research is equally reliable.
- The research an expert uses to support his or her argument might have been conducted
poorly.
MODULE 1: RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY
UNIT 2: FORMS OF KNOWING
I. Distinguishing Research from other forms of knowing (Morling, 2018)
- Let us see how three sources of knowing (experience, intuition, and authority) are compared to
a more superior source of evidence: empirical research.
A. Research vis-à-vis experience
- Personal experiences, as well as the experiences of friends and family, are powerful sources
of information.
- No matter how representative experiences are to us, there are flaws to be considered.
- First, experience has no comparison group to enable us to compare with.
- To conclude that venting one’s anger helps because of personal experiences may not
necessarily be a general experience. Venting may help for you but does it for others?
- Second, experience is confounded because in everyday life, too much is going on at once.
- Change occur at random and we may not be quite sure what caused these.
- There are several possible explanations for an outcome in real life situations.
- In research, these alternatives explanations are called confounds.
- Essentially, a confound occurs when you think one thing caused an outcome but in fact
other things changed, too, so, you are confused about what the cause really was.
- What makes research a better source of information?
- Basing conclusions on systematic data collection has the simple but tremendous
advantage of providing a comparison group.
- In research setting, scientists can use careful controls to be sure they are changing
only one factor at a time.
- Take note that behavioural research is probabilistic.
- If a finding does not apply to your experience, it does not mean it’s wrong.
- The conclusions of research are meant to explain a certain proportion (preferably
a high proportion) of the possible cases and are not expected to explain all cases
all of the time.
B. Research vis-à-vis intuition
- Intuition is the use of our hunches about what seems “natural” or attempting to think
about things “logically.”
- While we may believe in our intuition, it can lead us to make less effective decisions
because intuition tends to become biased.
- When biased, we are easily swayed by a good story even when it is false because it
makes sense or feels natural.
- We may easily be persuaded by what comes to mind easily because of availability
heuristic.
- Biases may also lead us to overestimate events, to notice what is present and fail to
look for absences (present/present bias) which is another failure to consider
appropriate comparison groups.
, - Example: We conclude that venting is effective because we notice the times when both
the treatment (venting) and the desired outcome (feeling better) are present but are less
likely to notice the times when we didn’t express our anger and just felt better anyway.
- We could also focus on evidence that we like best as in the case of confirmation bias.
- We seek and accept only the evidence that supports what we already think.
- We could have a bias blind spot believing that we are less biased than others.
- The bias blind spot might be the sneakiest as it makes us trust our faulty reasoning even
more.
- What makes research a better source of information?
- The formal processes of scientific research help prevent these biases from
affecting our decisions.
- Rather than thinking what they want to, scientists use data.
C. Research vis-à-vis authority
- People—even those we trust—make claims as if they are facts.
- However, you should be cautious about basing your beliefs on what everybody says—
even when the claim is made by someone who is (or claims to be) an authority - as
cultural messengers, as professionals with advanced degrees, as people with significant
life experience.
- Before taking the advice of authorities, ask yourself about the source of their ideas.
- If an authority refers to research evidence—their advice might be worthy of attention.
- However, authorities can also base their advice on their own experience or intuition,
just like the rest of us.
- They too, might present only the studies that support their own side.
- Keep in mind, too, that not all research is equally reliable.
- The research an expert uses to support his or her argument might have been conducted
poorly.
