The ways that various issues may impact individuals first interested me in psychology. I find it remarkable that some individuals may experience troubles in the human psyche while others do not. When I see individuals manage situations or respond in a manner that I do not observe in others, it makes me wonder how extraordinary and unique the human mind is across different people. For example, one person can interpret water in a glass as half full and another as half empty.
There are several perspectives to consider while contemplating the nature of human conduct. When doing research on how individuals reason, perceive, and act, psychologists draw on a wide range of theoretical views (Schimmack, & Kim, 2020). However, I believe the Cognitive Approach is the most intriguing of the psychological theories. I am a pragmatist and endeavor to be contemplative about my actions and their antecedents. Therefore I find it fascinating to see how individuals absorb sensory inputs, deal with them, and gain knowledge from the process.
Some examples of critical thinking questions that could be addressed in a scientific investigation, such as one to investigate the etiology of autism to assess its empirical quality, are as follows:
- Is the question one that the research can attempt to address using the hypotheses?
- Will every respondent or assumption be given similar questions and options for responding to those questions?
- Will the exact information be obtained from all participants or related to the various hypotheses?
- Will every respondent be exposed to identical conditions, and will all theories be discussed in the same context?
- Will each individual make their observations using the same methodology?
- Will the sample be representative of enough people to provide an accurate answer?
References
Schimmack, U., & Kim, H. (2020). An integrated model of social psychological and personality psychological perspectives on personality and wellbeing.Journal of Research in Personality, 84, Article 103888.