Human Sciences

Study of the self conscious animal

What?

Anthropology- of culture Psychology- of individual behavior Sociology- of group behavior Human Geography- of human behavior

in interaction with environment Economics - of human choices… Education…????

Currency?

As in, practical work, or careers?

How much of your daily life is informed by the human sciences? 5 minutes…

How are humans unique? And why are we studied

differently?

Language - how does it make a difference?

Free will - Reason - Creativity -

Observation

Key to the sciences, but although behavior is observable, minds are not.

So, is behavior the only way to clearly study humans? What is lost?

Are surveys or interviews legitimate tools?

Loaded Questions

Do you think there should be an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting abortions, or shouldn’t there be such an amendment? 29% in favor, 67% opposed

Do you believe there should be an amendment to the Constitution protecting the life of the unborn child, or shouldn’t there be such an amendment? 50% in favor, 34% opposed

Posed in 1998 Harris poll

Other concerns

People are more idealistic in considering a hypothetical situation than in a real life one.

Identity of surveyor, public or private, other…?

The observer effect

What ways are there of getting around it?

Habituation…hidden cameras…other?

What is the deal with reality tv? What do we learn about human nature from such programs/

Predictive effect, or expectation hex

Psychology- bright vs less bright students…more than a year’s worth of difference in achievement after one year. Replicated 27 times since 1961!

What effect do your teachers’ expectations have on you?

Should reading groups exist in elementary school? G/T schools?

Economics

Bull and bear markets

Price of stocks

Measurement

How many thoughts have you had today?

Stream of consciousness - William James…or only behaviorism

When you try to make sense of what other people do, do you pay more attention to what they say or do?

How do we compare human behaviors? By

affixing a price people are willing to pay?

How would you go about putting a price on human life? As in a jury settlement after a wrongful death, or alimony or child support?

How would you measure the following?

Weight Brand loyaltyTemperature Social class

Inflation Intelligence

Happiness Reading ability Age Progress

Experiments..not so much

Complex real world situations are not replicable

Artificiality of controlled experiments may distort behaviors

Ethical reasons…negative effects on participants

See- Stanford Prison experiment

Laws?

To what extent is human behavior predictable?

State three generalizations… How do insurance companies set

rates?

Beware…post hoc ergo propter hoc…

Children with low self esteem tend to do poorly in school.

As a country develops economically, birth rates tend to go down.

Children brought up by talkative parents tend to be talkative themselves.

Design a human sciences study

Choose what you want to study Design a clean study