MOD 2 PART 4 AP Psychology

Brief Review Case Study One or a few cases Highly descriptive detail Survey Large number of participants Generalizable Not very much depth Naturalistic observations Observations in a natural environment Description only, no prediction Experimentation Isolation of variables of interest Control of variables allows researcher to theorize causal links

Can Laboratory Experiments illuminate real life? Laboratory environment is a simplified reality in order to control for external factors Recreation of psychological principles under scientific conditions Hong Kong adults who flexibly coped with lab stresses were flexible in coping with marital stresses (Cheng 2001) Principle is the same, only the setting is controlled Purpose of experiment is to test the principle not to recreate reality (Mook 1983) Most things do generalize to the outside world (Anderson et al, 1999) Psychologists’ concerns lie not with the particular behaviors but with the principles that describe them

Does behavior depend on one’s culture? Culture: shared ideas and behaviors that one generation passes on to the next Standards of promptness and frankness Attitudes toward premarital sex and different body shapes Tendencies to be casual or formal Some underlying forces make us the same Dyslexia is the same in different languages (Paulesu et al 2001) All languages share deep principles of grammar Facial expressions and body language can overcome linguistics Shyness, low self esteem, and being unmarried magnify loneliness in all cultures (Jones et al 1985, Rokach et al 2002) Hunger and taste are universal

Does behavior vary with gender? Gender is part of basic identity Gender issues permeate psychology Dreams Expression and detection of emotions Alcoholism Depression Eating disorders Conversations: women build relationships while men give information (Tannen 1990) Remarkable similarities Sensations of light and sound Feelings of hunger, desire, and fear Overall intelligence and wellbeing Biology determines sex; culture determines gender

Why do psychologists study animals? Animals are fascinating Interesting to make comparisons between animals Relationship to people Many behaviors are similar Advances based on animal studies Insulin Vaccinations Transplant Processes that are similar Vision Emotion Obesity Learning Animals provide a way to simplify processes

Is it Ethical to experiment on animals? “We cannot defend our scientific work with animals on the basis of similarities between them and ourselves and then defend it morally based on differences.” (Ulrich 1991) Number of research animals pales in comparison to animals used for food or killed at shelters (Goodwin and Morrison 1999) Allegations of animal abuse in experimentation are overblown (Coile and Miller 1984, Gallup and Suarez 1985) Shock only used in 4% of British studies, all involving rats (Thomas and Blackmun 1991) Compassion for animals vs. compassion for people Can we sacrifice animals for the sake of humans? Compassion varies based on perceived similarities (Plous 1993) Most researchers support laws that protect animal welfare (Plous and Herzog 2000) British require humane treatment of research animals (Lea 2000) Some research has benefited the animals themselves Stress reduction in dog (Tuber et al 1999) Zoo animals allowed to hunt (Stewart 2002) Improvement of animal care

Is it ethical to experiment on people? Temporary stress or deceit sometimes necessary for a justifiable end Ethical principles (US 1992 UK 1993) Informed consent of the participants Protect participants from harm and discomfort Maintain confidentiality Fuly explain research afterward Non-university research Consumer surveys Photography of economic and social behavior Tracking buying patterns Apple products ?!?!? Much less attention paid to this

Is psychology free of value judgments? Values affect What we study How we study it How we interpret reseults Cannot separate values from perception Language loaded with value What is considered abnormal or undesirable changes according to values Homosexuality in the DSM ADHD? Psychological professionals give value-laden advice

Is psychology potentially dangerous? Can it be used to manipulate others? Knowledge can be used for good or evil Schmidt and the process of “othering” Persuasive power can educate or mislead Purpose is to enlighten, not deceive Some of the world’s biggest problems have a psychological basis War Overpopulation Prejudice Family dysfunction crime

Case Study – the Death Penalty Starting in 1950, the US Supreme Court began to allow social science research to influence decisions Brown v. Board of Education racism study Cruel and unusual punishment issues Arbitrary basis or influence of race? IQ Age Ways to kill the prisoner Crimes that are appropriate for death penalty Is the death penalty applied fairly US is only Western post-industrial democracy that still has the death penalty Effect of race of the convicted and the victim influences penalty Is the death penalty a deterrent? Nope….simple as that States that have it have crime rates very similar to states that don’t

Studying for the unit 2 test II. Research Methods (8–10%) Psychology is an empirical discipline. Psychologists develop knowledge by doing research. Research provides guidance for psychologists who develop theories to explain behavior and who apply theories to solve problems in behavior. AP students in psychology should be able to do the following: Differentiate types of research (e.g., experiments, correlational studies, survey research, naturalistic observations, and case studies) with regard to purpose, strengths, and weaknesses. Describe how research design drives the reasonable conclusions that can be drawn (e.g., experiments are useful for determining cause and effect; the use of experimental controls reduces alternative explanations). Identify independent, dependent, confounding, and control variables in experimental designs. Distinguish between random assignment of participants to conditions in experiments and random selection of participants, primarily in correlational studies and surveys. Predict the validity of behavioral explanations based on the quality of research design (e.g., confounding variables limit confidence in research conclusions). Distinguish the purposes of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Apply basic descriptive statistical concepts, including interpreting and constructing graphs and calculating simple descriptive statistics (e.g., measures of central tendency, standard deviation). Discuss the value of reliance on operational definitions and measurement in behavioral research. Identify how ethical issues inform and constrain research practices. Describe how ethical and legal guidelines (e.g., those provided by the American Psychological Association, federal regulations, local institutional review boards) protect research participants and promote sound ethical practice.