How Psychologists Learn

Thinking Like a Scientist

 

Identifying the Problem

• Ideas must be generated.
• May be the most difficult stage. It distinguishes greater from lesser scientists.
• Many of the best scientists bring ideas from other disciplines: Herb Simon, George Miller, Larry Squire, Margaret Washburn, Norma Graham.

Techniques for Generating Ideas (McGuire, 1983)

• Conduct intensive case studies.
• Why do some successful politicians (Gary Condit, Bill Clinton) have multiple extramarital affairs?
• Try to account for paradoxical incidents.
• Why do people smoke when they know it is bad for their health?
• Consider that a commonsense hypothesis may be incorrect.
• Social facilitation & cockroaches

Defining the Problem

• Hypothetical constructs: Concepts that are not observable but produce observable behaviors (e.g., intelligence, personality, consciousness).
• Operational definitions: Precise specification of what should be measured, how it should be measured, and why it should be measured. Founded on a theory.

Constructing a Plan

• Choosing a type of investigation; e.g., experiment, survey, case-study, naturalistic observation, etc.
• Choice depends on goals.

Representing the Problem

• Aspects of the problem, such as what matters and what affects what, need to be displayed somehow.
• Solar system model of atom; network models of memory
• Some representations may be better than others (e.g., "Monk Problem").

 

Resource Allocation

• Resources are never unlimited.
• Experts devote more time to global (big- picture) planning; novices spend more time on local (detail-oriented) planning.
• Knowing when to raise and when to fold.

Monitoring Problem Solving

• Progress in science is often not "linear" because good scientists monitor how they are doing and make adjustments accordingly (e.g., Alexander Fleming).

Evaluating Problem Solving

• Success depends on the ability to profit from feedback, both internal and external.

Goals of Psychological Research

• Description: What, when, where, & how?
• Explanation: Why?
• Prediction: When will it happen again?
• Intervention: How can psychologists change behavior or intervene in a positive way?
• Examples: Spatial abilities; murder of Kitty Genovese.

Stages of a Research Project

• Identify and define problem; plan experiment.
• Conduct experiment.
• Examine data; interpret them in the context of old and new theories.
• Write paper and submit to journal.
• Editor sends the paper to 2-4 experts for comments.

Stages of a Research Project

• Revise-resubmit-revise-resubmit-revise . . .
• Paper appears in journal.
• These journals can be found in the library.

Summary

• Scientific problem solving can be character-ized as a seven-step cyle: Identify, define, plan, represent, allocate, monitor, and evaluate.
• The goals of psychological science are to describe, explain, predict, and influence human behavior.