Psychology 101

Psychology 101Psychology 101

Introduction to PsychologyIntroduction to Psychology

Dr. Jacob LeonesioDr. Jacob Leonesio

What is psychology the study of?What is psychology the study of?

Some Types of PsychologistsSome Types of Psychologists Research Psychologists (academic )Research Psychologists (academic )

– Biological (neuroscientists)Biological (neuroscientists)– Cognitive PsychologistsCognitive Psychologists– Social PsychologistsSocial Psychologists– Personality PsychologistsPersonality Psychologists– Educational PsychologistsEducational Psychologists– Some Clinical PsychologistsSome Clinical Psychologists

Some Types of PsychologistsSome Types of Psychologists Applied PsychologistsApplied Psychologists

– Clinical PsychologistsClinical Psychologists– School PsychologistsSchool Psychologists– Industrial/Organizatonal and Human Industrial/Organizatonal and Human

Factors PsychologistsFactors Psychologists

Academic DegreesAcademic Degrees M.S.WM.S.W M.AM.A Ph.D.Ph.D. Ed.D.Ed.D. M.D.M.D.

Some Perspectives on the Causes of Human Experience and Behavior:Biological

Neuroscience (brain, genes, behavior)

Cognitive (internal mental processes are studied)

Behavioral (study of observable responses to observable stimuli)Classical and operant conditioning

Some Perspectives on the Causes of Some Perspectives on the Causes of Human Experience and Behavior:Human Experience and Behavior:

Social-Cultural PerspectiveSocial-Cultural Perspective– Social PsychologySocial Psychology– Cross Cultural Research Cross Cultural Research

Psychodynamic (unconscious motives, conflicts, Psychodynamic (unconscious motives, conflicts, defenses)defenses)– Case StudyCase Study– Early Childhood experienceEarly Childhood experience

Humanistic PerspectiveHumanistic Perspective– Experiential ResearchExperiential Research– Clinical TechniquesClinical Techniques

How is Knowledge Obtained?How is Knowledge Obtained?

Classic Ways of KnowingClassic Ways of Knowing Tenacity (not a ‘method’)Tenacity (not a ‘method’) Authority (not a ‘method’)Authority (not a ‘method’) IntuitionIntuition Reason (deduction and induction)Reason (deduction and induction) Empiricism Empiricism

The Scientific MethodThe Scientific Method Rational empiricismRational empiricism A dynamic method that combines A dynamic method that combines

systematic empiricism with rational systematic empiricism with rational inference.inference.

Not all questions can be answered Not all questions can be answered scientifically.scientifically.

Academic psychology only addresses Academic psychology only addresses those questions that can be those questions that can be answered scientifically.answered scientifically.

Academic Psychology is only about Academic Psychology is only about 100 years old (1879 to the present).100 years old (1879 to the present).

Case StudyCase Study Single participantSingle participant Historical/qualitative analysisHistorical/qualitative analysis Useful for generating hypotheses to Useful for generating hypotheses to

be tested with further studies and be tested with further studies and experiments.experiments.

Correlational StudyCorrelational Study

Many participantsMany participants Operational definitionsOperational definitions Descriptive statistics, quantitative data Descriptive statistics, quantitative data

(means, medians, correlation coefficients)(means, medians, correlation coefficients) Inferential statistics, the probability that the Inferential statistics, the probability that the

result of at least this size is due to chance result of at least this size is due to chance is calculated (p<.05, p<.01)is calculated (p<.05, p<.01)

Can determine a significant relationship, Can determine a significant relationship, but NOT whether one variable CAUSES but NOT whether one variable CAUSES changes in another variablechanges in another variable

Operational DefinitionOperational Definition A variable is defined by the precise A variable is defined by the precise

series of steps that describe how a series of steps that describe how a variable is measured.variable is measured.

This series of steps must result in a This series of steps must result in a NUMBER.NUMBER.

Correlation CoefficientCorrelation Coefficient

PositivePositive correlation: high score on correlation: high score on one variable is associated with a high one variable is associated with a high score on another variable.score on another variable.

NegativeNegative correlation: high score on correlation: high score on one variable is associated with a low one variable is associated with a low score on another variable.score on another variable.

Varies between -1 to +1.

http://noppa5.pc.helsinki.fi/koe/corr/misint.html

A linear relationship is assumed

http://noppa5.pc.helsinki.fi/koe/flash/corr/ch16.html

vvSignificanceSignificance

A finding is significant if it can beshown that it is not due to chance.

(Significant does not mean important)

Significance is always expressedSignificance is always expressedas a probability.as a probability.

p < .05 means that the likelyhoodthat the experimental finding is due to chance is only5 out of 100.

ExperimentExperiment Many participantsMany participants Operational definitionsOperational definitions The independent variable is MANIPULATED The independent variable is MANIPULATED

and alternative hypothesis are eliminated and alternative hypothesis are eliminated (often by using RANDOM ASSIGNMENT to (often by using RANDOM ASSIGNMENT to conditions)conditions)

Descriptive statisticsDescriptive statistics Inferential statisticsInferential statistics CAN DETERMINE if one variable CAUSES CAN DETERMINE if one variable CAUSES

changes in another variablechanges in another variable

Random Assignment: Every research participant had an equal chance to be in the experimental group or the control group.

Therefore:

1) Both groups are (on average) identical except for the manipulated independent variable.

2) The manipulated independent variable must have caused any differences that exist between the two statistically identical groups.

Therefore, you can generalize your findings (from your small sample) to a larger population.

Random Sampling: Every research participant is some larger group had an equal chance to be in the study.

Dependent VariableDependent Variable The value of the dependent variable The value of the dependent variable

depends on the value of the depends on the value of the independent variable. It is the independent variable. It is the variable that is believed to be variable that is believed to be affected by the independent variable.affected by the independent variable.

If the Dependent VariableIf the Dependent Variableis Degree of Violenceis Degree of Violence

There are a number of possible There are a number of possible operational definitions. Here is one operational definitions. Here is one example:example:– Mean (average) volume of participants Mean (average) volume of participants

voice measured in decibels by a sound voice measured in decibels by a sound meter over a 20 min period while meter over a 20 min period while responding to a set of provocative responding to a set of provocative questionsquestions

Measures of Central TendencyMeasures of Central Tendency

10,000,00010,000,000 50,00050,000 40,00040,000 30,00030,000 12,00012,000 12,00012,000 10,00010,000

Mean = Mean = 10,154,000/7 = 10,154,000/7 = 1,450,571.431,450,571.43

Median = 30,000Median = 30,000

Mode = 12,000Mode = 12,000