----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2010 1:57 PM
Subject: Re: [tips] behavioral dilemma
I agree, and am delighted that many seem to recognize the value of good
observation and description, and the role of presumptive vantage points
underlying such accounts. The class could explore the assumptions and
biases involved in naive descriptions as a critical thinking exercise. How
do psychologists hold in check or take into account their own biases and
assumptions when conducting such observations? Here, one might bring in
differences beyween informal observations and more systematic ways of
observing and recording that might better characterize scientific study.
Other classes might explore the role of such observations in developing
research ideas. Do psychologists learn or acquire description/observational
skill in grad school? How should such accounts differ from the tainted
kinds of case notes said to typify Freud's writing?
One would have to encourage better observation/analysis in any case, but
could this also lead to lessons as to how biased observations might lead to
faulty hypothesis testing?
GPeterson
Gary's iPad
American psychology has never been big on observations,but the Europeans
have.As a matter of fact,the field of Human Ethology was pioneered by Hans
Haas,Goodall,Desmond Morris( I never understood how he went from Curator of
London Zoo to Human ethology: see Man watching).Btw,except in the fields
of anthropology and sociology,one is not likely to be approved of a
dissertation in an experimental psychology program.
Anyway there are basically two types of observations-event sampling and time
sampling.Event sampling is more specific whereas time sampling are multiple
behaviors in pre-determined blocks of time. So what are we asking the
student to do? Refining the observational techniques do not override the
biases of the two sampling methods unless
the student takes into account multiple interactions.
Michael "omnicentric" Sylvester,PhD
Daytona Beach,Florida
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