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Chapter 2Psychologys

Scientific Methods

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Scientific Research Research that is:

Objective

Systematic Testable

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The Scientific Method The Scientific Method

Used to discover accurate informationabout phenomena, including mind and

behavior

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The Scientific Method Conceptualize a problem

Operational definition

A description that is as precise as possibleabout the aspects of problem and how it isto be studied in terms of observableevents that can be measured

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The Scientific Method Theory

A coherent set of interrelated ideas thathelps to make predictions and explain data

Hypothesis

Specific assumptions or predictions thatcan be tested to determine their accuracy

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The Scientific Method Collect information (data)

Draw conclusions

Revise research conclusions or theory

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Who Will the Participants Be? Population

The entire group which the investigatorwants to draw conclusions

Sample

The subset of the population chosen byinvestigator for study

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Who Will the Participants Be? Random sample

A sample in which every member of thepopulation has an equal chance of being

selected

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Research Methods: Observation Laboratory observation

Observations of behavior in a controlledsetting with many of the complex factors of

the real world removed

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Observation Naturalistic observation

Observations of behavior in real-worldsetting with no effort made to manipulate

or control the situation

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Interviews Interview

Asking questions to find out about apersons experiences and attitudes

Social desirability

The tendency of participants to tell theinterviewer what they think is sociallyacceptable or desirable rather than what

they truly feel or think

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Interviews Questionnaires (surveys)

Similar to structured interviews except thatthe respondents read the questions and

mark their answers on paper rather thanverbally responding to an interviewer

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Case Studies Case study

An in-depth look at a single individual,used mainly by clinical psychologists when

the unique aspects of an individuals lifecannot be duplicated

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StandardizedTests Standardized tests

Tests that require people toanswer a series of written

and/or oral questions Individuals test score is

totaled to yield a singlescore

Individuals score iscompared with the scoresof a large group of similarpeople

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Correlational Research Correlational Research

Research with the goal of describing thestrength of the relationship between two

or more events or characteristics

Variable 1

Variable2

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Experimental Research Experimental research

Allows psychologists to discoverbehaviors causes

Experiment

A carefully regulated procedure in whichone or more factors believed to influencethe behavior being studied are

manipulated and all other factors are heldconstant

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Experimental Research Independent variable

The manipulated, influential, experimentalfactor in an experiment

Dependent variable

The factor that is measured in anexperiment

Can change as the independent variable ismanipulated

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Experimental Research Experimental group

The group who experience is manipulated

Control group A comparison group that is treated in

every way like the experimental groupexcept for the manipulated factor

Random assignment Assignment of participants to experimental

and control groups by chance

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Random Assignment

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Experimental Research Cautions Experimenter bias

The influence of the experimenters ownexpectations on the outcome of the

research

Research participant bias

The influence of research participantsbelief

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Experimental Research Cautions Placebo effect

Occurs when participants expectations,rather than the experimental treatment,

produce the desired outcome

Double-blind experiment

Neither the experimenter nor theparticipants are aware of which

participants are in the experimental group

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Ethics and Values Informed consent

Participants must know what theirparticipation will involve and any risks that

might develop

Confidentiality

Researchers are responsible for keepingall of the data they gather on individuals

completely confidential and, whenpossible, completely anonymous

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Ethics and Values Debriefing

Informing participants of the purpose andmethods used in a study after the study

has been completed

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Ethical Research with Animals How ethical is research with animals?

Human applications

Psychotherapy and behavioral medicine Rehabilitation of neuromuscular disorders

Understanding and alleviating effects ofstress and pain

Discovery and testing of drugs to treatanxiety and severe mental illness

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Ethical Research with Animals Human applications

Knowledge about drug addiction andrelapse

Treatment to help premature infants gainweight so they can leave the hospitalsooner

Knowledge about memory used to

alleviate deficits of memory in old age

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Gender, Culture, and Ethnicity Gender bias

Cultural bias

Ethnic bias Ethnic gloss:

Using an ethnic label in a superficial waythat portrays an ethnic group as being

more homogeneous than it actually is

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Being a Wise Consumer Research on groups vs. the individual

needs of the consumer

Overgeneralization based on a smallsample

A single study usually is not thedefining word about an issue orproblem

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Being a Wise Consumer Causal conclusions cannot be drawn

from correlational studies

Always consider the source of thepsychological information and evaluateits credibility

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End of Chapter 2

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