Research Methods Psy Dr David A Kaiser LECTURE 1: SCIENTIFIC METHOD VHS: Clever Hands Zimbardo #2 - VH

Syllabus

Experiment 0 Black screen slides

List 1 – No delay BUTTER BUTTER RADIO RADIO CHAIR CHAIR DOOR DOOR POTATO POTATO EGG EGG WATER WATER GIRL GIRL TREE TREE HEAD HEAD KEY KEY COFFEE COFFEE THIS LIST THIS LIST –Concrete nouns NEXT LIST NEXT LIST –30 second delay

List 2 – 30 sec delay BUTTER BUTTER RADIO RADIO CHAIR CHAIR DOOR DOOR POTATO POTATO EGG EGG WATER WATER GIRL GIRL TREE TREE HEAD HEAD KEY KEY COFFEE COFFEE THIS LIST THIS LIST –Concrete nouns –Previous Exposure (x2) NEXT LIST: NEXT LIST: –No exposure –30 second delay

List 3 – 30 sec delay MIAMI MIAMI DOLPHINS DOLPHINS BUFFALO BUFFALO BILLS BILLS NEW NEW ENGLAND ENGLAND PATRIOTS PATRIOTS DALLAS DALLAS COWBOYS COWBOYS BOSTON BOSTON RED RED SOCKS SOCKS This list This list –Concrete words –No exposure –30 second delay Next list Next list –Concrete words –No exposure –Unrelated words

List 4 – 30 s delay ACUMEN ACUMEN MORASS MORASS PUGILIST PUGILIST REBUS REBUS AMITY AMITY FOIBLE FOIBLE YUCCA YUCCA GADFLY GADFLY BASILISK BASILISK BIVOUAC BIVOUAC ENCEPHALON ENCEPHALON STEERAGE STEERAGE THIS LIST THIS LIST –No exposure –Unrelated –Concrete words –Low frequency NEXT LIST NEXT LIST –No exposure –Unrelated –Concrete words –High frequency –30 sec delay

List 5 – 30 s delay ( vs list 1) BREAD BREAD TELEVISION TELEVISION TABLE TABLE WINDOW WINDOW TOMATO TOMATO SEED SEED FIRE FIRE BOY BOY FLOWER FLOWER FOOT FOOT LOCK LOCK SODA SODA THIS LIST THIS LIST –Concrete nouns NEXT LIST NEXT LIST –30 second delay

Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behavior –WHY DO PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH? –Want to know more about why people behave the way they do. – e.g., depressed friend, relationship breaks down

Goals of Psychological Research 1. Measure and Describe Behavior Important to determine how to measure phenomenon so it can be described. 2. Understand and Predict Behavior To evaluate understanding, psychologists make and test predictions (i.e., hypotheses) about phenomenon under investigation. 3. Modify and Control Behavior Ultimate goal: apply information about phenomenon to "real-world" problems

Research in Psychology WHAT DRIVES PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH? -Existing Theories - Evaluate, extend, or even discredit a theory. -Other Research - Replicate, extend, or discredit existing research. -Personal Observation - Casual curiosity or new interest

Research in Psychology WHY BECOME FAMILIAR WITH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY Psychologists are empirical: rely on formal, systematic observations to address questions Gain an appreciation for psychological research Enhance understanding of research-based info from school, life, and media Improve your ability to think critically Learn to evaluate reports from a research perspective to know what to disregard.

Scientific Method Evaluate ideas objectively, with degree of confidence Rules on how to collect, summarize, and analyze data

Evaluating Without Scientific Method “Clever Hans” phenomenon, facilitated autistic communication Neither knew answer if questioner failed to know it Hans was sensitive to primate nonverbal cues

Watch “Clever Hans” segment from NOVA’s “Signs of the Apes, Songs of the Whales” – 45 sec long! Watch “Clever Hans” segment from NOVA’s “Signs of the Apes, Songs of the Whales” – 45 sec long!

Science is a set of rules to keep us from lying to each other Control: Keep variables & groups constant or equivalent Manipulation: Change only one thing at a time

Use of scientific method – i.e. systematic observation and experimentation as well as logic and reasoning to resolve questions about human nature The difference between philosopher & psychologist? Aristotle, 4 th century BC Wilhem Wundt, 1879

Watched 25 min video, Discovering Psychology (Zimbardo) #2, Understanding Research Watched 25 min video, Discovering Psychology (Zimbardo) #2, Understanding Research

Research Methods Psych 402 LECTURE 2 - Library Search Assignment Electronic Databases Introduction to Experimental Design

Assignment 1: LIBRARY SEARCH Due in one week 1. Number EEG papers on autism (autism, asperger, autistic) 2. Number of sleep deprivation papers on high school kids 3. Number of subjects in the one study on sleep deprivation, naps, and caffeine in high school kids 4. Number of papers published by Carl Sagan in English 5. Number of sleep papers published since January 1, Number of co-authored papers by DA Kaiser & MB Sterman 7. Maximum score on Autism Spectrum Quotient Test (AQ Test) 8. Maximum female score on the AQ test 9. Size in grams of Immanuel Kant’s brain 10. Publication year of the one book in Wallace library on a feral/neglected child who was discovered in the 20 th century Use Medline for questions 1-5 PsycInfo for question 6 any source for remainder START HERE

Designs

Induction: inference of a general principle from particular instance(s) Deduction: inference in which the conclusion about particulars follows necessarily from general or universal premises

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence 6 min Sasquatch video 6 min Sasquatch video