When the Tail Wags the Dog: Perceptions of Learning and Grade Orientations, in and by, Contemporary College Students and Faculty Howard R. Pollio University of Tennessee-Knoxville Hall P. Beck Appalachian State University

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The Case For A Behavioral Science
Hall Beck, PhD Office 215 Smith-Wright Hall
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The Best Of All Worlds

1. The Environment The new green technologies.

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The Best Of All Worlds
2. Agriculture Tremendous increase in per acre
production.
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The Best Of All Worlds
3. Population Better forms of contraception.
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The Best Of All Worlds
4. New and better weapons to protect us.
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Best Of All Worlds

• 5. Violence Murder By Country
• Click to see a most revealing chart.
• http//chartsbin.com/view/1454

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Best Of All Worlds
Is The US Soft On Crime? Prisoners (Per 100000)
Population
US 700
Russia 635
Belize 460 South Africa
405 Mexico
145 UK 125
Egypt 120 Canada
110 Australia
110 France 75 Japan
45 India
40

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The Best Of All Worlds
6. Education The information explosion.
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What Is Missing ?
It has become appallingly obvious that our
technology has exceeded our humanity
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What Is Missing ?
Increasingly the problems we confront are
behavioral. People are behaving in ways that have
a detrimental impact on themselves, their
society, and planet.
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How Have We Confronted Behavioral Problems In The
Past?
Tenacity Holding fast to an idea or belief
without evidence, proof, or reasoning.
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How Have We Confronted Behavioral Problems In The
Past?
Intuition The act of coming to direct knowledge
or certainty without reasoning or inference.
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How Have We Confronted Behavioral Problems In The
Past?
Authority Acceptance of information stated by
another because that individual or source is a
highly respected.
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How Have We Confronted Behavioral Problems In The
Past?
Rationalism An idea or belief is accepted as
true because it is derived through reason.
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How Have We Confronted Behavioral Problems In The
Past?
Empiricism What is experienced is assumed to be
valid and true.
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Where Has That Reliance Brought Us? The Case For
A Behavioral Science
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What Are Some Characteristics Of The Scientific
Method?
Objective Relatively free of the scientists
biases or emotions. Distinction of Values
(personal opinions) and Facts (objective
statements) Empirical Based on the systematic
collection and analysis of data. Operational
Definition A precise statement of how a
conceptual variable is measured and
manipulated. Growth of Knowledge Unlike other
ways of acquiring knowledge, scientific knowledge
is cumulative.
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Reasons For Conducting Behavioral Research

• Further our understanding of the principles of
  human behavior.
• To provide information about important social
  problems.
• To have fun.

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Types Of Research
Design Goal Advantages Disadvantages
Descriptive Create a snapshot of the current state of affairs Provides a relatively complete picture of what is occurring Does not assess the relationship among variables
Correlational To assess the relationships between two or more variables Allows testing of expected relationships between variables and making predictions Cannot draw inferences about the relationships between the variables
Experimental To assess the impact of one or more experimental manipulations on a dependent variable. Allows drawing conclusions about the causal relationships among variables. Cannot experimentally manipulate many important variables.
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Examples Of Types Of Research
Design Examples
Descriptive Polling before an election Attitude of beer drinking Americans to Elvira Mistress of the Dark. Percentage of American college students who will graduate in six years or less.
Correlational Relationship of alcohol consumption to longevity. The association of divorce on the academic achievement of children. Relationship of scores on the College Persistence Questionnaire to retention.
Experimental Effects of several forms of psychotherapy on phobias. Impact of combat identification devices on the target detection accuracy of soldiers. Effects of time on the ability of college students to recall course material.
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Several Graphs Demonstrating The Need For
Behavioral Scientists

• Wealth Distribution
• http//motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-ine
  quality-in-america-chart-graph
• 2. Workers Share of National Income
• http//beta.news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/workers-s
  hare-national-income-plummets-record-low-163749508
  .html

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The Gini Coefficient And The Mentally Ill In
North Carolina

• Gini Coefficient
• https//www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world
  -factbook/rankorder/2172rank.html
• 2. Mentally Ill Lose Homes
• http//www.wcnc.com/news/local/NCs-mentally-ill-co
  uld-face-loss-of-homes-127682588.html

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Tragedy of the Commons and Collective Violence

1. Summary of class presentation Tragedy of the
   Commons Collective Violence.docx
2. More on the Tragedy of the Commons
   http//toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/TheTragedy
   oftheCommons

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What Is A Social Covenant
A social covenant is a unstated agreement between
members of a society regarding effort, the
distribution of rewards and what constitutes
legitimate authority.
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Breaking A Social Covenant Six Possible Responses

1. The cause of the disruption wanes in importance
   and does not reappear.
2. The disruption appears, recedes, but then
   reappears in a more extreme form.
3. Police and/or the military extinguish the
   disruption.
4. The disruption weakens the society which then
   becomes vulnerable to competition or take over
   from other societies.
5. The disruption results in anarchy.
6. The disruption leads to the establishment of a
   new covenant between members of society.