Write a reflection in response to the reading. Proofread your writing to make it as error-free as possible. The best posts include direct references to the readings. If you would like to include a quote from the chapters, be sure and quote exactly and use quotation marks. (A proper APA in-text citation includes the author last name, year, and page number in parentheses. Since one of the readings does not have an author name attached, you can just put “How do we know what we know?” in parenthesis if you quote from that source.)
Respond to two of the following prompts. You can also write about other aspects of the reading that particularly interest you.
What are the main goals of social research and how do they contribute to our understanding of society and human behavior?
How does the scientific method differ from common sense in terms of gathering and analyzing data? Describe some examples of the ways that common sense can fail us.
Why is it important to approach social research with a critical perspective?
Think about some ways that informal observation can lead to some faulty conclusions. Can you think of specific examples in which your own beliefs, or those of others, have led to “selective observation” or “overgeneralization”?
Why do you think people are sometimes reluctant to accept scientific consensus about certain topics (like measles vaccinations or man-made climate change)?
Have these readings prompted you to think about topics of interest that you might want to research for this class? (You do NOT have to take your topic from any of the subject areas that have been discussed here, but you might.) Discuss what makes you curious about this subject and perhaps ways that the public may have misconceptions about it.
