Lecture 2: Scientific foundations of psychology

What is theory of mind?

Theory of Mind is the ability to understand that others have thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and perspectives different from our own. It’s crucial for empathy, communication, and predicting behaviour.

What is reasoning?

Reasoning is the cognitive process of drawing conclusions based on evidence or logic. It includes both logical (rational) thinking and emotional or biased (irrational) thinking.

What is irrationality in psychology?

Irrationality refers to when humans make decisions or hold beliefs that don’t follow logic or evidence. Examples include cognitive biases like confirmation bias or the sunk cost fallacy.

How do we progress knowledge in psychology?

Psychology advances through the scientific method: forming theories, testing them, analysing results, and refining or replacing theories over time. Replication, peer review, and open criticism are key.

How do we know we’re right in psychology?

We test theories by making predictions (hypotheses) and running experiments. If the results consistently support the theory across multiple studies and samples, it's more likely to be true.

What happens when we're wrong in psychology?

When results don’t support a theory, we revise the theory, abandon it, or build a new one. This is part of the self-correcting nature of science—progress happens when we're willing to be wrong.

What does it mean to say psychology is WEIRD?

WEIRD stands for Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic. Most psychological studies are done on WEIRD populations, making results potentially less generalisable to the rest of the world.

Who was Thomas Kuhn and what did he say about science?

Kuhn argued that science progresses through paradigm shifts. A paradigm is a dominant framework of thinking. When enough evidence challenges it, a scientific revolution occurs, and a new paradigm takes over.

What is a paradigm in science?

A paradigm is a widely accepted set of theories, methods, and standards in a scientific field. It guides what questions to ask, how to study them, and how to interpret results.

What is a paradigm shift?

A paradigm shift is when the dominant scientific framework is replaced due to overwhelming evidence against it. It’s a scientific revolution, like the shift from behaviourism to cognitive psychology.