Week 2

Check-In Here : tinyurl.com/hibiases

Agenda and Announcements

Agenda :

  • 10 Min : Welcome and Check-In
  • 30 Min : Part 1 : Psychology as a Valid Science?
  • 30 Min : Part 2 : Biased Knowledge
  • 10 Min : Recap & Next Week

Announcements :

  • Blah. Let me know how access goes.

  • Office Hours in SSSC.

    • Today : Wednesday 12:35 - 2:30.

    • Starting Next Week : Wednesday 2:30 - 4:30.

Check-In Review

Epistemology Example Pro-Belief in Horoscopes Example Anti-Belief in Horoscopes
Intuition
Authority
Rationalism
Empiricism

Part 1 : Can Psychology Be a Valid Science?

RECAP : Goal of Science to Predict & Control

Research Questions : Writing Linear Models

  • Linear Model : an equation that simplifies our question & theory.

    • DV ~ IV1 + IV2 + … + IVk + ERROR
    • DV = what you want to predict or control (focus of your study)
    • IV = all the varaiable(s) you think might help predict the DV.
    • ERROR = life is complex! our predictions will be imperfect

  • Fiona : “…how creativity changes in our minds as we grow older.”

  • London : “As we age, why is it that we begin to naturally feel attracted to different aesthetic styles in our lives?”

  • Aracely : “how we interact with other people and how they influence us in different ways.”

  • Jake : “how different age groups use AI chatbots like ChatGPT.”

Research Questions : Hypotheses

  • Hypotheses : falsifiable predictions based on your theory.

    • H0 = null hypothesis = if the theory is NOT SUPPORTED, then I expect…

    • HA, = alternative hypothesis = if the theory is SUPPORTED, then I expect…

  • Fiona : “…how creativity changes in our minds as we grow older.”

  • London : “As we age, why is it that we begin to naturally feel attracted to different aesthetic styles in our lives?”

  • Aracely : “how we interact with other people and how they influence us in different ways.”

  • Jake : “how different age groups use AI chatbots like ChatGPT.”

ACTIVITY :

  • RESEARCH METHODS VISION BOARD.

    • Add your name, dream vacation, and write out your research question & theory (from D1).

    • Define the Null & Alternative Hypotheses.

DISCUSS : The Replication Crisis in Psychology

  • How did this make you feel? Why?

  • Why do you think so many students hadn’t heard about the replication crisis until this class?

  • What ideas or solutions do you think would work?

  • Does this change your perspective on psychology as positivist?

    • POSITIVISM : there is a REAL TRUTH about what makes people think, feel, and act that we can someday learn.

    • POST-POSITIVISM : reality exists, but we may not be able to ever understand REAL TRUTH because our ability to study reality will always be influenced by people.

  • What other questions do you have?

Part 2 : Cognitive Biases

DISCUSSION : Cognitive Biases

  • Patterns in Randomness

  • Positive Evidence

  • Previous Beliefs

  • Availability

  • Social Influence

  • Regression to the Mean

DISCUSSION : Cognitive Biases

  • Patterns in Randomness

  • Positive Evidence

  • Previous Beliefs

  • Availability

  • Social Influence

  • Regression to the Mean

For Each Bias - What’s a clear definition? How would you explain to a 5-year old? - What’s an example from real-life (e.g., a Casino) - How might this bias influence / be relevant to science?

ACTIVITY : Identifying Biases in Horoscopes

Find examples of each of the different cognitive biases: Patterns in Randomness, Positive Evidence, Previous Beliefs, Availability, Social Influence, Regression to the Mean.

ACTIVITY : Name…that…bias!!!

zahra jaxson

NEXT WEEK : Science Business.

TOPIC DISCUSSION : DIG DEEPER

  • What’s a claim from psychology that you’ve heard (and believe?)

  • What are some of the biases that might motivate this belief?

  • How is scientific knowledge created and produced?

BYE.