I. Why should you care about research if you don’t want to pursue a career in it?
● It applies to everyday actions
● It helps clinicians in practice
● Knowing the basics helps with report interpretation
● Knowledge can help people decide how to evaluate claims
II. What can be gained by doing research?
● Behavioral research can help confirm information is accurate
● Researchers cannot prove facts but can support ideas with data
● Observation allows for a more objective way to gain knowledge
III. Why do psychologists conduct research?
● Use science to understand and explain behavior
● Psychologists infer information about behaviors through observation
● Findings must be understood to choose the best treatment or therapy
IV. How do we learn from doing research?
● Epistemologies
-Intuition: a gut feeling based on previous knowledge
-Authority: a source of information that is likely accurate because they should
know it (specialties/ training)
● Deductions: the act of using knowledge to make inferences
● Empiricism- the gathering of information through direct observation
● The scientific method
V. Producing vs Consuming Research
● Producing Research
-Honesty and Integrity
-Avoid Bias (confirmation bias)
-Peer reviewed communicated ideas to further understanding
-Replicating findings
-Objectivity/ Open to critique
● Consuming Research
-Healthy skepticism
-Tolerance of uncertainty
-Understand the research process
-Evidence based treatments
● It applies to everyday actions
● It helps clinicians in practice
● Knowing the basics helps with report interpretation
● Knowledge can help people decide how to evaluate claims
II. What can be gained by doing research?
● Behavioral research can help confirm information is accurate
● Researchers cannot prove facts but can support ideas with data
● Observation allows for a more objective way to gain knowledge
III. Why do psychologists conduct research?
● Use science to understand and explain behavior
● Psychologists infer information about behaviors through observation
● Findings must be understood to choose the best treatment or therapy
IV. How do we learn from doing research?
● Epistemologies
-Intuition: a gut feeling based on previous knowledge
-Authority: a source of information that is likely accurate because they should
know it (specialties/ training)
● Deductions: the act of using knowledge to make inferences
● Empiricism- the gathering of information through direct observation
● The scientific method
V. Producing vs Consuming Research
● Producing Research
-Honesty and Integrity
-Avoid Bias (confirmation bias)
-Peer reviewed communicated ideas to further understanding
-Replicating findings
-Objectivity/ Open to critique
● Consuming Research
-Healthy skepticism
-Tolerance of uncertainty
-Understand the research process
-Evidence based treatments
