It's hard, if not impossible, to imagine where the field of psychology would be today without research. Chapter 2 explores and explains different research methods and the various components to an experiment. The author brings to light that from research we have found, "the same psychological processes that serve us well in most situations also predispose us to errors in thinking." That may take you a little further reading to wrap your head around. This is where heuristics come into play. In an effort to make sense of the world we like to make mental shortcuts that help streamline our thinking. I found this to be a very interesting concept and I have made errors in judgment due to heuristics.
Research evidence invalidated many superstitions. Such as, humans act strangely during full moons, arthritis acting up in rainy weather, and rituals to better our performance. Superstations are also known as illusory correlations.
The author also pointed out a few common vocabulary mistakes people often make. Just because a measure is reliable doesn't mean it is valid. Prior to reading this chapter, reliable and valid were almost synonyms to me. With a little humor the author creates an example to differentiate the meaning between the two. He comes up with the Distance Index-Middle Width Intelligence Test (DIMWIT). It would be a reliable measure of intelligence because the widths of our fingers are unlikely to change. But because the widths of our fingers have nothing to do with intelligence it is not a valid method. Through research, psychologists have been able to set a strong foundation for exploring and furthering the science of psychology.
I find it interesting that in the general case, even after reading research that disproves a certain superstition, people still tend to believe in it. This belief perseverance maybe helps people to explain the weird world that we live in, but at the same time, they shouldn't use their superstitious beliefs as evidence in arguments. In this age where pretty much everything can be easily explained, there should be no room in debates for false beliefs, and yet they still exist. I think the world overall would be a better place if everyone was a little more open minded.
I also think it's extremely interesting how so many people still believe in superstitions after they have been disproven. I think the title of your blog entry is extremely accurate, because imagine how many more people would still believe in some of these superstitions if there hadn't been research to disprove them. We know so much more about psychology due to the research that has been done in the field.
This is an interesting topic and one that i also found quite interesting. As a sports fan i have little superstitions that i always use, for me i wear two pairs of socks during basketball games. I have always done that. I really loved all the examples you wrote about to help us better understand what you are trying to say. Also, the picture at the end really summed up your article as well and it made me chuckle a little bit. Well done.
I definitely agree with the scientific evidence against superstitions because they are illusory correlations, but what about the mental reassurance they have on their users during stressful situations? I guess my point is that just because they don't actually have any observable effect on the outcome of an event, doesn't mean they're not useful to the people that believe in them. I think everyone that plays a sport for a long time develops small superstitions or rituals because they seem comfortable, and they help you take your mind off the upcoming game, but I wonder if other professionals, like surgeons, are ritualistic or superstitious.
I find superstitions to be quite humorous because everyone falls victim to them at some point even though we all know that they aren't true. It is just hard to overlook the correlations that arise even though research has proven to not be a true correlation in the first place. It is just easier for people to point to a full moon for the random outbursts of craziness than to take a look at each individual that is acting crazy and figure why their actions are such. Very interesting read.