Psyc 3403

Lecture Overview

• Date: 2/17/25

• Topic: Nonscientific Approaches and Pseudosciences

Pseudosciences

• Definition: Fields that appear scientific but do not adhere to the scientific method.

  • Examples: Astrology, graphology.

• Issues with Personal Experiences:

  • Cannot validate information about human intuition and behavior.

Distinction between Authority and Expertise

• Importance of differentiating between someone with authority and someone with expertise in a subject matter.

  • Authority may not always provide reliable information, whereas expertise is grounded in knowledge and research.

Hypothesis Development and Theory Testing

• Good hypotheses should lead to results that relate to and support a theory.

• Types of Outcomes When Testing Theories:

  1. Evidence Insufficiency: Results may not provide enough evidence to support a theory.

     • Response: Design follow-up studies and collect more evidence for research.

  2. Inadequate Explanations: Results may lead to rejecting the theory when it fails to explain the phenomenon adequately.

     • Adjustment: The theory may need modification to incorporate new results.

Growth of Theories

• Theories evolve based on new findings and research outcomes.

Ideas for Research

• Sources of Research Ideas:

  • Observations: Noticing phenomena that occur in the world.

  • Serendipity: Accidental discoveries, e.g., bystander intervention effect and parlor conditioning with dogs.

Resources for Psychology Research

• Previous Research: Consult textbooks available in libraries for foundational knowledge.

  • Described as a "program of research" where researchers discuss current theories.

  • Importance of articles and teams of researchers investigating various psychological phenomena.