Thinking like a Psychological Scientist – PSYC 100_ Principles of Psychology F21.pdf

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3. Thinking like a
Psychological Scientist
Original chapter by Erin I. Smith adapted by the Queen’s University
Psychology Department
This Open Access chapter was originally written for the NOBA project.
Information on the NOBA project can be found below.
We encourage students to use the “Three-Step Method” for support in their
learning. Please ±nd our version of the Three-Step Method, created in collabo-
ration with Queen’s Student Academic Success Services, at the following link:
We are bombarded every day with claims about how the world works, claims
that have a direct impact on how we think about and solve problems in soci-

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ety and our personal lives. This module explores important considerations for
evaluating the trustworthiness of such claims by contrasting between scien-
ti±c thinking and everyday observations (also known as “anecdotal evidence”).
Learning Objectives
Compare and contrast conclusions based on scienti±c and everyday in-
ductive reasoning.
Understand why scienti±c conclusions and theories are trustworthy, even
if they are not able to be proven.
Articulate what it means to think like a psychological scientist, considering
qualities of good scienti±c explanations and theories.
Discuss science as a social activity, comparing and contrasting facts and
values.
Introduction
Why are some people so much happier than others? Is it harmful for children
to have imaginary companions? How might students study more effectively?
Even if you’ve never considered these questions before, you probably have
some guesses about their answers. Maybe you think getting rich or falling in
love leads to happiness. Perhaps you view imaginary friends as expressions of
a dangerous lack of realism. What’s more, if you were to ask your friends, they
would probably also have opinions about these questions—opinions that may
even differ from your own.
A quick internet search would yield even more answers. We live in the
“Information Age,” with people having access to more explanations and an-
swers than at any other time in history. But, although the quantity of informa-
tion is continually increasing, it’s always good practice to consider the quality
of what you read or watch: Not all information is equally trustworthy. The trust-
worthiness of information is especially important in an era when “fake news,”

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Today, people are overwhelmed with information
although it varies in quality. [Image: Mark Smiciklas,
, CC BY-NC 2.0,
]
urban myths, misleading
“click-bait,” and conspir-
acy theories compete for
our attention alongside
well-informed conclu-
sions grounded in evi-
dence. Determining what
information is well-in-
formed is a crucial con-
cern and a central task of
science. Science is a way
of using observable data
to help explain and un-