1. Research Methods
In Psychology

2. Goals of Psychology
Describe
Explain
Predict
Change

3. Limits to Human Intuition
If you drop an arrow, and fire one straight, which hits the ground first?
A wooden cube is 1 inch long on each side. How many cubes form a cube 2 inches along each side?
WREAT WATER
ETRYN ENTRY
GRABE BARGE
How long would it take you to complete these?
OCHSA
CHAOS
2% of college graduates say they won’t graduate.
Nearly 50% don’t within 5 years.

4. Scientific Method Step 6 Build a Theory
An operational definition is stated in observable, measurable terms that allow for duplication.
Step 1
Review the Literature
Step 6
Build a Theory
Step 2
Develop a Testable Hypothesis
(must be operationally defined)
Step 3
Design the Study and
Collect the data
Step 5
Publish, Replicate,
And Seek
Scientific Review
Step 4
Analyze the Data
And accept or
Reject the Hypothesis

5. Descriptive Research Naturalistic observation
-observe behavior in a natural environment
Surveys
-Participants answer questions
Case studies
-in-depth study of one individual.
Purpose is to observe, collect, and record data.
Easy to collect data
Little or no control over intervening variables.
Researcher and participant biases are problems.

6. Surveys saying vs. doing
What would you do if someone confessed to a murder in a chat room?
60% said they would notify the police
When this actually occurred in a group of 200, 3 people responded.
Wording Effects
“government censorship” – (27%)
“more restrictions on what is shown on TV” – (66%)
Are you interested in plants and trees? (77%)
Are you interested in Botany? (39%)
Hillary Clinton – 57% favorable rating (1993)
Hillary Rodham Clinton – 49% favorable rating (1993)

7. Surveys
The false consensus bias – we think people hold similar opinions more than they do.
68% roll toilet paper over the spool
79% squeeze toothpaste from the top
7% look behind the shower curtain when using someone else’s bathroom
80% eat corn on the cob in circles, rather than side to side
50% eat Oreos whole, 18% twist in half, 15% dunk them

8. Correlational Research
Correlation is the relationship between two variables.
Positive correlation – both values increase
Negative correlation –
One variable increases, while the other decreases.
Correlational Coefficient – strength of the relationship
0= no relationship
+ or – 1 = perfect relationship
Examples: SAT scores and success in college; Red wine and heart attacks; Prejudice and age; length of marriage and hair loss, etc.

9. “CORRELATION does not mean CAUSATION!”
It allows us only to predict!

10. Different Types of Studies
Longitudinal Studies
periodic tests on the same participants over a number of years.
Cross-Sectional Studies
Participants are of divided into subgroups.
What are the disadvantages of each type of study?
Too long. Delays Diagnosis
High attrition rates
Hard to predict causation
Many intervening variables

11. Experimental Research
Purpose is to identify cause and effect through the manipulation of variables.
Independent Variables - what the experimenter manipulates
Dependent Variables - what experimenter measures
Experimental Controls - control group, experimental group, avoid extraneous variables
Disadvantages: artificial setting, practical limitations experimenter and participant biases, and ethical concerns.

12. Bias in Research Bias is any condition that distorts data
Experimenter bias – predisposed beliefs of the experimenter can confound the research findings.
Creates a self-fulfilling prophesy
Subject bias – subjects change behavior
Hawthorne effect – a subject’s behavior changes because of awareness of being studied.
Placebo effect – subject’s expectations lead them to believe some change has occurred.

13. Experimental Safeguards
Experimenter
Bias
Participant
Bias
Blind (masked) observers – who’s not the researcher
Single-blind (masked) study – either the experimenter or subjects are unaware of who is receiving the treatment.
Double-blind (masked) study - neither experimenter or subject is aware.
Random sampling
Random assignment
Confidentiality
Placebo

14. Measures of Central Tendancy
Interpreting the Data
The goal is to find the number that best represents the data.
Measures of Central Tendancy
Mode
The most common score, or the score with the highest frequency
Median
Divides the distribution in half
50% above and 50% below
Mean
Arithmetic average
add up all the scores and divide by the number of scores

15. Ethics in Psychology

16. Ethics in Research
Approval of American Psychological Association (APA)
Informed Consent
Confidentiality
Minimize risk and discomfort
Fairness and Deception
Informed consent
Debriefing
Animal Research?

17. What have you learned? Who established the first psychology lab?
Who used the research method of introspection?
Who’s theory of natural selection contributed to functionalism?
What perspective of Freud’s believes in unconscious motives?
What perspective feels that we learn all behavior?
What perspective says we must look at the whole?
What model brings together many psychological perspectives?