Discussion Questions

1. When you think of a “scientist,” what image comes to mind? How is this similar to or different from the image of a scientist described in this module?
2. What makes the inductive reasoning used in the scientific process different than the inductive reasoning we employ in our daily lives? How do these differences influence our trust in the conclusions?
3. Why aren’t horoscopes considered scientific?
4. If science cannot “prove” something, why do you think so many media reports of scientific research use this word? As an educated consumer of research, what kinds of questions should you ask when reading these secondary reports?
5. In thinking about the application of research in our lives, which is more meaningful: individual research studies and their conclusions or scientific theories? Why?
6. Although many people believe the conclusions offered by science generally, there is often a resistance to specific scientific conclusions or findings. Why might this be?
7. What are some key differences between experimental and correlational research?
8. Why might researchers sometimes use methods other than experiments?
9. How do surveys relate to correlational and experimental designs?

I. Smith, E. (2018). Thinking like a psychological scientist. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. DOI:nobaproject.com

Scollon, C. N. (2018). Research designs. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology.Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. DOI:nobaproject.com