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Philosophy & Methods of ScienceOverview of Basic Concepts, Roles, and Goals1What is Psychology?Comprehensive discipline in which practitioners focus on understanding human behavior its underlying emotional, mental, and physiological processes.

According to the APA: Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. The discipline embraces all aspects of the human experience from the functions of the brain to the actions of nations, from child development to care for the aged. In every conceivable setting from scientific research centers to mental health care services, "the understanding of behavior" is the enterprise of psychologists. (About APA, 5)2Misunderstandings Regarding PsychologyPsychologists are mind-readersPsychologists analyze and diagnose every person they meetThe differences between psychologists and psychiatrists Bachelors degrees in psychology are uselessOne does not have to understand statistics and research methods to be a psychologistDr. Phil is a good example of a psychologist.

What have you heard?3Psychology and the Lay PersonHow the general public is exposed to psych or forms opinions about psych:Self-help booksTelevision/Radio talk-showsMass Media (News, TV, and Movies)Experts in interviewsCharacter portrayalsMaybe an AP Psychology or PSYC 101 classMaybe through personal experience (counseling or mediation)4Psychology is a ScienceGrounded in Empiricism:Observation, Measurement, and AnalysisEngaged in the replication of findings.Methods section of a manuscriptParticipants, Procedures, Instruments/Tests, Variables measured, etc.Engaged in peer review and evaluation.Most reputable journals peer review articlesReviewers are professionalsThere are standardsMust not withhold research data for review ( see APA Code, 8.14)FalsifiabilityResearchers in psychology use the scientific method.5Classical Definition(Roger Bacon, 13th century)Science is a set of procedures, based on mathematics and experimentation, to establish NATURAL explanations for events in the natural world.6Classical Assumptions:No event in the universe just happens (I.e., events are caused by other events)

78Classical Assumptions:No event in the universe just happens (i.e., events are caused by other events)

There is an order, a set of principles, governing reality. Not all things are possible.

9Objects in motion10No event in the universe just happens (i.e., events are caused by other events)

There is an order, a set of principles, governing reality. Not all things are possible.

Simple (knowable) rules govern even complex events (i.e., there is parsimony to the rules of reality)

Classical Assumptions:

11Corollaries to Basic Assumptions: Physical reality exists and can be observed and measured, however imperfectly (pragmatic realism)

Statements about that reality should be limited to what can be observed and measured

12Sciences Rules of Evidence:Physical (empirical) evidence trumps all other formsNo claim about reality ever is proven to be TRUE; all claims are subject to reinterpretation, modification, and possible disproofTherefore, all claims must be stated such that they can be tested and falsified if falseTherefore, detailed methods of acquiring evidence must be provided so that they may be replicated, so that claims may be tested13

Scientific (Constructive) Skepticism vs. Cynicism:Cynicism: Doubt everything, because someone always has something to gain from any claim

Scientific Skepticism: Demand evidence for everything; accept no claim without it;accept no claim that cannot be replicated by skeptics; accept no claim as ABSOLUTE TRUTH

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The Goal of Modern Science:Build a less inaccurate map of realityby means of

1. Hypothesis testing(What is an hypothesis?)

2. Theory construction(What is a theory?)15