Chapter 1: Psychology Is a Way of Thinking
1. Explain what the consumer of research and producer of research roles
have
in common and describe how they differ.
Producers of research: write up their results and present them at research
meetings.
Consumers of research information: reading about research so they can later
apply it to their work, hobbies, relationships, or personal growth.
2. What kinds of jobs would use consumer-of-research skills? What kinds of
jobs would use producer-of-research skills?
Producer: academia, researcher
Consumer: psychological therapist, social worker, a teacher, a sales
representative, a human resource professional, an entrepreneur, or a parent
3. What happens to a theory when the data do not support the theory’s
hypotheses? What happens to a theory when the data do support the theory’s
hypotheses?
Data that match the theory’s hypotheses strengthen the researcher’s
confidence in the theory. When the data do not match the theory’s
hypotheses, however, those results indicate that the theory needs to be
revised or the research design needs to be improved. (figure 1.5)
Good theories are: supported by data from studies, falsifiable, and
parsimonious.
,4. Explain the difference between basic research and applied research and
describe how the two interact.
Applied research is done with a practical problem in mind; the researchers
conduct their work in a particular real-world context.
Basic research, in contrast, is not intended to address a specific, practical
problem; the goal is to enhance the general body of knowledge.
Translational research is the use of lessons from basic research to develop
and test applications to health care, psychotherapy, or other forms of
treatment and intervention.
5. Why can’t theories be proved in science?
At most, they will say that some data support or are consistent with a theory,
or they might say that some data are inconsistent with or complicate a theory.
6. When scientists publish their data, what are the benefits?
7. Describe two ways journalists might distort the science they attempt to
publicize.
, Chapter 2: Sources of Information: Why Research Is Best and How to
Find It
Discussion questions:
1. What are two general problems with basing beliefs on experience? How
does empirical research work to correct these problems?
Answer: no comparison, confounded; add comparison groups, set one
variable at each time.
2. What does it mean to say that research is probabilistic?
Answer: the conclusion does not necessarily fit all situations. Unexpected
outcomes may appear. (Attention when doing dissertation)
3. This section described several ways in which intuition is biased. Can you
name all five?
Answer:
-Accepting a conclusion just because it makes sense or feels natural.
-Availability heuristic: things that pop up easily in our mind tend to guide our thinking.
-Present/present bias: failing to think about what we cannot see—ask: compare to what?
-Confirmation bias: The tendency to look only at information that agrees with what we
already believe.
-Bias blind spot: we thought we are unlikely to fall prey to the other biases previously
described.
4. Why might the bias blind spot be the sneakiest of all the intuitive reasoning
biases?
, Answer:
-It makes us trust our faulty reasoning even more.
-It can make it difficult for us to initiate the scientific theory-data cycle.
5. Do you think you can improve your own reasoning by simply learning about
these biases? How?
Answer:
Yes and No. Even if we know everything about bias, we cannot avoid it. As
bias blind spot will stop us from doing so. Objectivity is impossible.
However, as we know the possible biases, and the empirical ways to tackle it,
we will be able to find out what we can use, in this case scientific & empirical
research, example gathering, comparison, to avoid the possible biases.
6. When would it be sensible to accept the conclusions of authority figures?
When might it not?
Answer:
If the conclusion from authority is based on empirical research, that is reliable.
But if that is based on personal experience or intuition, that is not reliable.
7. How are empirical journal articles different from review journal articles?
How is each type of article different from a chapter in an edited book?
Answers:
Empirical journal articles are research testing a hypnosis, whereas review
articles are to examine all articles that related to the area.
All journal articles are peer-reviewed, but not book chapters.
1. Explain what the consumer of research and producer of research roles
have
in common and describe how they differ.
Producers of research: write up their results and present them at research
meetings.
Consumers of research information: reading about research so they can later
apply it to their work, hobbies, relationships, or personal growth.
2. What kinds of jobs would use consumer-of-research skills? What kinds of
jobs would use producer-of-research skills?
Producer: academia, researcher
Consumer: psychological therapist, social worker, a teacher, a sales
representative, a human resource professional, an entrepreneur, or a parent
3. What happens to a theory when the data do not support the theory’s
hypotheses? What happens to a theory when the data do support the theory’s
hypotheses?
Data that match the theory’s hypotheses strengthen the researcher’s
confidence in the theory. When the data do not match the theory’s
hypotheses, however, those results indicate that the theory needs to be
revised or the research design needs to be improved. (figure 1.5)
Good theories are: supported by data from studies, falsifiable, and
parsimonious.
,4. Explain the difference between basic research and applied research and
describe how the two interact.
Applied research is done with a practical problem in mind; the researchers
conduct their work in a particular real-world context.
Basic research, in contrast, is not intended to address a specific, practical
problem; the goal is to enhance the general body of knowledge.
Translational research is the use of lessons from basic research to develop
and test applications to health care, psychotherapy, or other forms of
treatment and intervention.
5. Why can’t theories be proved in science?
At most, they will say that some data support or are consistent with a theory,
or they might say that some data are inconsistent with or complicate a theory.
6. When scientists publish their data, what are the benefits?
7. Describe two ways journalists might distort the science they attempt to
publicize.
, Chapter 2: Sources of Information: Why Research Is Best and How to
Find It
Discussion questions:
1. What are two general problems with basing beliefs on experience? How
does empirical research work to correct these problems?
Answer: no comparison, confounded; add comparison groups, set one
variable at each time.
2. What does it mean to say that research is probabilistic?
Answer: the conclusion does not necessarily fit all situations. Unexpected
outcomes may appear. (Attention when doing dissertation)
3. This section described several ways in which intuition is biased. Can you
name all five?
Answer:
-Accepting a conclusion just because it makes sense or feels natural.
-Availability heuristic: things that pop up easily in our mind tend to guide our thinking.
-Present/present bias: failing to think about what we cannot see—ask: compare to what?
-Confirmation bias: The tendency to look only at information that agrees with what we
already believe.
-Bias blind spot: we thought we are unlikely to fall prey to the other biases previously
described.
4. Why might the bias blind spot be the sneakiest of all the intuitive reasoning
biases?
, Answer:
-It makes us trust our faulty reasoning even more.
-It can make it difficult for us to initiate the scientific theory-data cycle.
5. Do you think you can improve your own reasoning by simply learning about
these biases? How?
Answer:
Yes and No. Even if we know everything about bias, we cannot avoid it. As
bias blind spot will stop us from doing so. Objectivity is impossible.
However, as we know the possible biases, and the empirical ways to tackle it,
we will be able to find out what we can use, in this case scientific & empirical
research, example gathering, comparison, to avoid the possible biases.
6. When would it be sensible to accept the conclusions of authority figures?
When might it not?
Answer:
If the conclusion from authority is based on empirical research, that is reliable.
But if that is based on personal experience or intuition, that is not reliable.
7. How are empirical journal articles different from review journal articles?
How is each type of article different from a chapter in an edited book?
Answers:
Empirical journal articles are research testing a hypnosis, whereas review
articles are to examine all articles that related to the area.
All journal articles are peer-reviewed, but not book chapters.
