Samenvatting research and methods II
2BA Psychologie, Aster Op de Beeck
H1 = introduction to scientific reasoning
1. Psychology as a way of thinking
Producing vs consuming research
A lot of struggles and things we need to be aware of when we produce/consume
research.
1. Critical mindset is essential
2. Not all published research is correct or robust
3. Replication crisis-> when replicating research we often don’t find same results.
Science is based on empiricism
Empirical data leads to reliable information.
Data is obtained through: our senses & instruments that assist our senses.
Systematic: when collecting data, always in the same consistent way.
Rigorous: no impulsive behaviour, thinking it through.
Replicable: finding same results.
Scientists test theories
Exploratory research (deductive): first create research & data and then formulating
theory
Confirmatory research (inductive): start from theory and by research confirm it.
Characteristics of good theories:
- Supported by data
- Falsifiable: possibility to get info that rejects the theory.
- parsimonious: if we have 2 theories = we choose the simplest one.
Theory can never be proven: 1 falsification is enough.
Importance of using multiple studies & replication to form conclusions.
1
,Scientific norms:
- Universalism: everyone can do research when they follow the principes.
- Communality: results should be broadly communicated and available for
public.
- Disinterestedness: goal of research is to expand understanding. No other
purpose.
- Organized skepticism: researcher hava critic view towards eachothers work.
Fundamental/basic research: end goal is to improve theory and knowledge on certain
topic. Not to produce something new.
Translational research: not just to improve knowledge but also develop a practical
thing, but still abstract. Fe: lab setting.
Applied research: implementing theory in real life setting.
Often first the basic afterwards the applied.
Scientists work on fundamental and applied problems
Science is continuously evolving
Theory constantly tested, modified and falsified.
Scientists publish their findings in scientific journals
Submitted to scientific journals -> peer-review process.
Reject, revise, resubmit, accept. Publishing is important. (but hard)
Scientists communicate with the general public via journalists
Media also formulates info. Info often lost with translation, summarizing,…
Look at the full article.
2. Sources of information
Researchers:
- Use a comparison group
- Control for third variables
- Try to evaluate information without bias
2
,Research versus experience
- Experience has no comparison group
- Research is confounded by third variables. Rule out conjoint explanations.
Need to make comparisons, otherwise hard to form conclusions.
Own experience often confounded: hard to separate the causes of our own.
Research uses:
- A control group
- Control for confounders
- Attempt to evaluate information without bias
- Research is probabilistic: in each group there is variation. look for the average.
Research versus intuition
Cognitive biases can influence our interpretation.
- A good story: makes sense?
- Availability heuristic: information that is close or realistic. Fe: when we ask
people if we are more likely to die by plane or car people respond plane: not
true. We just hear it more often/availability on the news.
- Present/present bias: when we think about the effects of something we dont
think about the different situations that are relevant to the conclusion.
- Confirmation bias: The believes we already have will influence new info.
- Confirmatory hypothesis testing: design study in the way it confirms hypos.
- Bias blind spot: thinking that we don’t get tricked by the biases. In that way we
are even more vulnerable.
Authority figures
Agree with claims of authority figures. Not bcs we think it’s true but bcs we follow
them.
Scientific sources:
Empirical articles published in scientific journals, Review articles published in
scientific journals (e.g., meta-analyses), chapters in books, scientific books, books for
broad audience, blogs, internet sites, popular media (e.g., news magazines)
3
, Highest: summarize of multiple research
Lowest: studies that look at specific cases.
4
2BA Psychologie, Aster Op de Beeck
H1 = introduction to scientific reasoning
1. Psychology as a way of thinking
Producing vs consuming research
A lot of struggles and things we need to be aware of when we produce/consume
research.
1. Critical mindset is essential
2. Not all published research is correct or robust
3. Replication crisis-> when replicating research we often don’t find same results.
Science is based on empiricism
Empirical data leads to reliable information.
Data is obtained through: our senses & instruments that assist our senses.
Systematic: when collecting data, always in the same consistent way.
Rigorous: no impulsive behaviour, thinking it through.
Replicable: finding same results.
Scientists test theories
Exploratory research (deductive): first create research & data and then formulating
theory
Confirmatory research (inductive): start from theory and by research confirm it.
Characteristics of good theories:
- Supported by data
- Falsifiable: possibility to get info that rejects the theory.
- parsimonious: if we have 2 theories = we choose the simplest one.
Theory can never be proven: 1 falsification is enough.
Importance of using multiple studies & replication to form conclusions.
1
,Scientific norms:
- Universalism: everyone can do research when they follow the principes.
- Communality: results should be broadly communicated and available for
public.
- Disinterestedness: goal of research is to expand understanding. No other
purpose.
- Organized skepticism: researcher hava critic view towards eachothers work.
Fundamental/basic research: end goal is to improve theory and knowledge on certain
topic. Not to produce something new.
Translational research: not just to improve knowledge but also develop a practical
thing, but still abstract. Fe: lab setting.
Applied research: implementing theory in real life setting.
Often first the basic afterwards the applied.
Scientists work on fundamental and applied problems
Science is continuously evolving
Theory constantly tested, modified and falsified.
Scientists publish their findings in scientific journals
Submitted to scientific journals -> peer-review process.
Reject, revise, resubmit, accept. Publishing is important. (but hard)
Scientists communicate with the general public via journalists
Media also formulates info. Info often lost with translation, summarizing,…
Look at the full article.
2. Sources of information
Researchers:
- Use a comparison group
- Control for third variables
- Try to evaluate information without bias
2
,Research versus experience
- Experience has no comparison group
- Research is confounded by third variables. Rule out conjoint explanations.
Need to make comparisons, otherwise hard to form conclusions.
Own experience often confounded: hard to separate the causes of our own.
Research uses:
- A control group
- Control for confounders
- Attempt to evaluate information without bias
- Research is probabilistic: in each group there is variation. look for the average.
Research versus intuition
Cognitive biases can influence our interpretation.
- A good story: makes sense?
- Availability heuristic: information that is close or realistic. Fe: when we ask
people if we are more likely to die by plane or car people respond plane: not
true. We just hear it more often/availability on the news.
- Present/present bias: when we think about the effects of something we dont
think about the different situations that are relevant to the conclusion.
- Confirmation bias: The believes we already have will influence new info.
- Confirmatory hypothesis testing: design study in the way it confirms hypos.
- Bias blind spot: thinking that we don’t get tricked by the biases. In that way we
are even more vulnerable.
Authority figures
Agree with claims of authority figures. Not bcs we think it’s true but bcs we follow
them.
Scientific sources:
Empirical articles published in scientific journals, Review articles published in
scientific journals (e.g., meta-analyses), chapters in books, scientific books, books for
broad audience, blogs, internet sites, popular media (e.g., news magazines)
3
, Highest: summarize of multiple research
Lowest: studies that look at specific cases.
4
