CHAPTER 1 - EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
How are science, methodology, and data ➔ Our ability to make accurate predictions
interrelated? about someone's traits increases with the
length of acquaintanceship. We are
generally more accurate when we know
➔ Science connotes content and process. someone well than when we judge a
◆ Through experiments and stranger (Colvin & Funder, 1991). But, not
observations always.
◆ Has assumptions ➔ Perceiving others by their traits can be useful
➔ Methodology consists of the scientific for predicting their behavior, but it can also
techniques we use to collect and evaluate lead to overestimations of the likelihood that
data. they will act in trait-consistent ways across a
◆ How can we measure & capture it wide variety of different situations.
➔ Data are the facts we gather using scientific
methods.
STEREOTYPING
◆ Observation & measurements
➔ We falsely assume that specific behaviors
COMMONSENSE PSYCHOLOGY
cluster together.
➔ Stereotypes ignore individual differences.
➔ Heider ➔ (e.g. since Ching is a Fil-Chinese student,
➔ nonscientific data gathering she must study 10 hours a day and excel at
➔ This approach uses nonscientific sources of math. In reality, she failed calculus.)
data and nonscientific inference. (example is
believing that "opposites attract.")
OVERCONFIDENCE BIAS
➔ No proof but we assume they are real
➔ we feel more confident about our
NONSCIENTIFIC INFERENCE
conclusions than is warranted by available
data.
➔ nonscientific use of information to explain or ➔ When we fail to acknowledge the limitations
predict behavior of the supporting data, this may lead to
incorrect conclusions.
GAMBLER’S FALLACY
Why is the scientific mentality important?
➔ people misuse data to estimate the ➔ Alfred North Whitehead's scientific
probability of an event mentality assumes that behavior follows a
➔ (e.g. when a slot machine will pay off) natural order and can be predicted.
OVERUSE TRAIT EXPLANATIONS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN
SCIENCE
➔ Using this to explain others' behavior, might
lead us to make unwarranted dispositional
EMPIRICAL
attributions and underuse situational
information.
➔ This bias can reduce the accuracy of our ➔ Data are empirical when observed or
explanations and predictions. experienced.
➔ Fundamental attribution error ➔ Galileo's empirical approach was superior to
◆ Overuse of trait explanations to Aristotle's common sense method.
explain one’s behavior ➔ He correctly concluded that light objects fall
as rapidly as heavy ones in a vacuum.
How are science, methodology, and data ➔ Our ability to make accurate predictions
interrelated? about someone's traits increases with the
length of acquaintanceship. We are
generally more accurate when we know
➔ Science connotes content and process. someone well than when we judge a
◆ Through experiments and stranger (Colvin & Funder, 1991). But, not
observations always.
◆ Has assumptions ➔ Perceiving others by their traits can be useful
➔ Methodology consists of the scientific for predicting their behavior, but it can also
techniques we use to collect and evaluate lead to overestimations of the likelihood that
data. they will act in trait-consistent ways across a
◆ How can we measure & capture it wide variety of different situations.
➔ Data are the facts we gather using scientific
methods.
STEREOTYPING
◆ Observation & measurements
➔ We falsely assume that specific behaviors
COMMONSENSE PSYCHOLOGY
cluster together.
➔ Stereotypes ignore individual differences.
➔ Heider ➔ (e.g. since Ching is a Fil-Chinese student,
➔ nonscientific data gathering she must study 10 hours a day and excel at
➔ This approach uses nonscientific sources of math. In reality, she failed calculus.)
data and nonscientific inference. (example is
believing that "opposites attract.")
OVERCONFIDENCE BIAS
➔ No proof but we assume they are real
➔ we feel more confident about our
NONSCIENTIFIC INFERENCE
conclusions than is warranted by available
data.
➔ nonscientific use of information to explain or ➔ When we fail to acknowledge the limitations
predict behavior of the supporting data, this may lead to
incorrect conclusions.
GAMBLER’S FALLACY
Why is the scientific mentality important?
➔ people misuse data to estimate the ➔ Alfred North Whitehead's scientific
probability of an event mentality assumes that behavior follows a
➔ (e.g. when a slot machine will pay off) natural order and can be predicted.
OVERUSE TRAIT EXPLANATIONS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN
SCIENCE
➔ Using this to explain others' behavior, might
lead us to make unwarranted dispositional
EMPIRICAL
attributions and underuse situational
information.
➔ This bias can reduce the accuracy of our ➔ Data are empirical when observed or
explanations and predictions. experienced.
➔ Fundamental attribution error ➔ Galileo's empirical approach was superior to
◆ Overuse of trait explanations to Aristotle's common sense method.
explain one’s behavior ➔ He correctly concluded that light objects fall
as rapidly as heavy ones in a vacuum.
