🧠 Unit 0 – Part 2: The Scientific Attitude, Research Methods,
and Statistics
The Need for Psychological Science
● We want accurate answers about behavior → can’t rely on opinions or intuition.
● Common Sense ≠ Reliable.
● Avoid Psychomythology (false psychology “facts”).
● Goal: Think Critically & Adopt a Scientific Attitude.
Biases That Distort Thinking
1. Hindsight Bias – “I knew it all along.”
2. Overconfidence – We overestimate our knowledge.
3. Perceiving Order in Random Events – Humans look for patterns.
4. Confirmation Bias – We seek info that supports what we believe.
The Scientific Method
Steps:
1. Ask a Question
2. Form a Hypothesis (testable prediction)
3. Test with research
4. Analyze results
, 5. Draw a Conclusion
6. Replicate the study
Why? → Replication increases reliability.
Research Methods
Non-Experimental Methods
● Naturalistic Observation – Watch behavior in natural settings.
○ Pros: Realistic
○ Cons: No control, can’t prove cause
● Case Study – Deep investigation of one subject.
○ Pros: Detailed info
○ Cons: Hard to generalize
● Meta-Analysis – Combines results of many studies.
Surveys
● Collect self-reported info.
● May use Likert Scales.
● Sampling:
○ Random = every person has equal chance.
○ Convenience = easy to reach but biased.
and Statistics
The Need for Psychological Science
● We want accurate answers about behavior → can’t rely on opinions or intuition.
● Common Sense ≠ Reliable.
● Avoid Psychomythology (false psychology “facts”).
● Goal: Think Critically & Adopt a Scientific Attitude.
Biases That Distort Thinking
1. Hindsight Bias – “I knew it all along.”
2. Overconfidence – We overestimate our knowledge.
3. Perceiving Order in Random Events – Humans look for patterns.
4. Confirmation Bias – We seek info that supports what we believe.
The Scientific Method
Steps:
1. Ask a Question
2. Form a Hypothesis (testable prediction)
3. Test with research
4. Analyze results
, 5. Draw a Conclusion
6. Replicate the study
Why? → Replication increases reliability.
Research Methods
Non-Experimental Methods
● Naturalistic Observation – Watch behavior in natural settings.
○ Pros: Realistic
○ Cons: No control, can’t prove cause
● Case Study – Deep investigation of one subject.
○ Pros: Detailed info
○ Cons: Hard to generalize
● Meta-Analysis – Combines results of many studies.
Surveys
● Collect self-reported info.
● May use Likert Scales.
● Sampling:
○ Random = every person has equal chance.
○ Convenience = easy to reach but biased.
