Introductions

Go over the syllabus
Go over Mallard

How do we know what we know?

Activity:

Part I
Ask students to write down two things that they know

Then ask them to write down HOW they know those things.

Now go around the room and ask some students about the HOW's (and maybe the what's?)

Identify some of the ways in which people "know" things.

Then lead them through the construction of one possible organization

	Objective – having  "real"existence outside of a person's mind	Subjective – existing in a person's mind
Analysis	Experimental Logical reasoning	Persuasion (by logical means)
Acceptance	Instruction Regulation (rules &laws?)	Personal preference

Part II

Ask students to write down two generalizations that they have observed about people.

Then categorize these into two kinds of generalizations

Descriptive generalizations - just describe how it is/what was seen, without making predictions. Cause and effect generalizations - makes predictions about the observed relationship between two (or more) things.

Part III
Ask the students to construct hypotheses based on these generalizations

 

Consider each hypothesis:  is it testable?  Observable? Replicable?

The importance of a critical eye: There are always alternative explanations:

Pepsi vs Coke taste test

Pepsi did a taste test in Dallas (Coke had a 3:1 lead).  Wanted to find out if drinkers really preferred Coke or if it could be attacked by advertising.  Chose set of Coke drinkers, gave glass with Coke and one with Pepsi

a)     could not actually label like that – Why?  Yes, clear that it might affect the results

b)    so labeled by letters – M (Pepsi) and Q (Coke).  Found that more than half chose Pepsi.  OK?

c)     Well, not so OK.  What if some letters preferred more than others?  Could this account for the results?

d)    Seems strange, but how would you test?

e)     Pepsi did it in a strange way.  Did again, but used S for Pepsi and L for Coke, but counterbalanced order.

f)     To be convincing then, for half the subjects labels should be one way and for the other half the other.  Then label preference cannot be cause of results.  (What about order that things are tasted?  Might that matter?)

g)    Alternative method was used elsewhere, same cola in both glasses, , labeled one L and one S and found that 85% liked S cola more than L cola.

Uri Geller

a)     Uri Geller, famous psychic.  In Australia (and other places), would "heal"watches in audiences and even over radio.

b)    Seems amazing – how can he do it?  - Psychic energy from him.

c)     Someone else replayed tape and found it worked then too

d)    Old watches usually not working because oil gummed up.  Heat of hands is sufficient for a short time.

e)     No control group – he relied on people believing that since watches had not been working that it was his energy, as opposed to the other changes (such as holding) that was responsible

1) Get an idea

a) Often the hardest part
b)No firm rules for how to do this
2) Formulate a testable hypothesis
a) What's a hypothesis?
b) What does it mean to be testable?
3) Review the literature
a) What has already been done?
b>How are other experiments in the area done?
4) Design the experiment
5) Collect Data
a) May include pilot research
6) Analyze the data
a) Our focus will be on which test is appropriate and some basics about how to interpret the results of the tests
7) Interpret the results
8) Present the results
a) Written reports
b) Conference presentations
i) Posters
ii) Talks