1. Research in Psychology

2. Basic vs. Applied Seeking knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself
“pure” research
How do children and adults differ in addictive tendencies?
Studying psychological issues in order to apply the findings to help solve problems
How can we predict addictive tendencies in adolescents to prevent adult addictions?

3. Methods Case Studies Observational Studies Tests Surveys
Detailed description of a particular individual being studied/treated
Observational Studies
Naturalistic or lab created situations
Tests
Personality, aptitudes, interests, values, abilities, etc.
Surveys

5. Naturalistic Observation
Observation of human or animal behavior in the environment in which it typically occurs
OBJECTIVE 3-3| Identify the advantages and disadvantages of naturalistic observation in studying behavior and mental processes.
Jane Goodall’s study of chimpanzee culture *

6. Naturalistic Observation
Valuable where other methods are likely to be disruptive or misleading
Problems with Naturalistic Observation
If people know they are being observed, they tend to act differently than they normally would
Ethically you usually must tell people you are observing them, yet can combat by observing for a long period of time
Observations can be distorted if observers expect to see certain behaviors
Why would this be a problem? How could it be solved?

7. Case Study
Intensive examination of the behavior and mental processes associated with a specific person or situation
OBJECTIVE 3-1| Identify the advantages and disadvantages of case studies in studying behavior and mental processes. *

8. Case study Are useful when something is new, complex or fairly rare
Often used in clinical work and neuropsychology
Limitations…
May contain evidence that a certain research thought to be important (why would this be a problem?)
Are unlikely to be representative of people in general
Yet…provide valuable material for further research and serve as testing ground for new treatment, training programs & other applications of research

9. Survey
A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes, opinions or behaviors of people usually by questioning a representative, random sample of people.
OBJECTIVE 3-2| Identify the advantages and disadvantages of surveys in studying behavior and mental processes, and explain the importance of wording effects and random sampling. *

10. Surveys Validity of data depends upon: Other limitations…
How questions are worded
Representativeness of people surveyed (why?)
Other limitations…
Willingness of people to honestly complete the survey
People may say what they believe they should say about an issue
Still a great way to gather LARGE amounts of information

11. Correlational vs. Experimental
Correlational Research
Experimental Research
Study that looks at consistent relationship between two things that are already occurring
Positive
Negative
A study that tests a hypothesis using controls and manipulation of variables
Independent
Dependent

12. The measure of the relationship between two items or variables
Correlation
The measure of the relationship between two items or variables
POSITIVE CORRELATION
Two variables increase together or decrease together
Example:
The number of gallons of gas pumped is positively correlated to the amount spent on gas.
NEGATIVE CORRELATION
Variables move in opposite directions
Example:
Miles traveled is negatively correlated to the amount of gas left in your tank.
OBJECTIVE 3-4| Describe positive and negative correlations and explain how correlational measures can aid the process of prediction. *

13. Correlations
A correlation expresses a relationship between two variables without ascribing cause
Variable = anything that can change or vary
COREELATION DOES NOT = CAUSATION!!!!!!
spurious correlations ….

19. Directional Relationships
Positive Correlation
Negative Correlation
The presence of one thing “predicts” the other
As one thing goes “up,” so does the other
Examples?
The presence of one thing “predicts” the absence of the other
As one thing goes “up,” the other goes “down”
Examples?

20. Scatterplots
Perfect positive
correlation (+1.00)
Perfect negative
correlation (-1.00)
No relationship (0.00)
Scatterplot is a graph comprised of points generated by values of two variables. The slope of points depicts the direction, and the amount of scatter the strength of relationship.

21. Visualizing a Correlation
Must be graphed using a scatter plot
The line of best fit, or regression line, is drawn through the middle in a way that minimizes its space from as many points as possible
The closer the points to the line, the more perfect the correlational relationship
(Coefficient closer to +1 or -1)

22. Correlation Coefficient Examples
What kind of relationships do the following correlations have?
- 0.78
moderately strong negative
+ 0.05
very weak positive
- 0.43
moderately weak negative
+ 0.92
very strong positive

23. What kind of relationship is depicted?
Another example….
Scatterplot showing relationship between height and temperament in people.
What kind of relationship is depicted?
Moderately positive… +.63

24. Correlation Coefficient
Statistical measure that shows the degree of relationship between two variables
Indicates strength
of relationship
(0.00 to 1.00)
Correlation
coefficient
r = +
0.37
Indicates direction
of relationship
(positive or negative)
Number will always fall between and +1.0
The higher the number the stronger the relationship

25. Correlation Coefficient
Represented by the letter r
Ranges from [-1] to [+1]
-1 is a perfect Negative relationship
+1 is a perfect Positive relationship
0 is the weakest relationship

26. Experimental Method - Terms
Participants
Operational definitions – LEGOS activity
Independent variables
The thing you manipulate
Dependent variables
The thing affected by the ind. Var.
It “depends” on the ind. Var.
Confounding variables
Other factors (beside the ind. Var.) that could effect the dependent variable
Participant-relevant – controlled by random assignment
Situation-relevant – controlled by equivalent environments

27. Terms - Continued Experimental group Control group Valid Reliable
Group exposed to the independent variable that is manipulated….exposed to the “treatment”
Control group
Group NOT exposed to treatment. Serves as a comparison to the experimental group
Valid
Does the study measure what you aim to measure?
Like….Hand length a measure of intelligence
Reliable
If the study was done again, would you get the same results?

29. Sampling Sampling Goal: Random selection vs. random assignment
Process in which participants are selected for a study
Goal:
For the sample population to be representative of a larger population
Random selection vs. random assignment
Random Selection: every person in a population has an equal chance of being selected (best done by computer)
Random Assignment: Participants have equal chance of being put into experimental or control group

30. Double/Single Blind Studies
Single Blind Study
Participants don’t know if they are in the control group or the experimental group
Placebos can be used to prevent this when using medicine
Double Blind Study
Neither the participants or researchers know who is in which group
Participants usually coded some way
Researchers see results but don’t know which group participant was from
Helps prevent experimenter bias

31. “Effects” and biases Order effects Biases
Observer bias – what experimenter expects to see, can change how s/he sees the behaviors being watched
More specifically – confirmation bias: tendency to notice only things that agree with your view or hypothesis
Order effects
Participants may get better at a repetitive task of an experiment because they are “practicing” with each trial
Participants may get worse at a repetitive task of an experiement because they get fatigued.

32. Demand Characteristics
Demand Characteristics (Participant bias)
the clues in an experiment that lead the participants to think they know what the researcher is looking for (e.g. experimenter’s body language).
Hawthorne Effect
Participants beh. changes because they know they are being observed. Usually performance increases
Placebo Effect
The improvement of a patient or “cure” because of the perceived benefits of a treatment (even if the pill/injection/cream/etc. is fake.)
Pygmalion Effect
The researchers’ expectations are unknowingly projected onto participants. The participants behave in a way that matches those expectations.

33. Study Summary Work
On your own, complete the study summary sheet with the study by Rosenthal.
Completing this is homework

34. Pygmalion Effect

35. Due next Class Reading Guide 2C Correlation practice sheet Next class:
statistics in psychological research
Vocab Quiz for Unit 2-same format. Majority of Qs from “History/Approaches”

36. Smiling Operational Definition