1. PSYCHOLOGY AND SCIENCE

2. METHODS FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS
Survey- obtain information by asking many individuals to answer a fixed set of questions
Case Study- an in depth analysis of the of a single individual or group
Experiment- method for identifying cause and effect relationships by following a set of rules and guidelines to minimize errors

3. SURVEY Advantages Disadvantages
Quick and efficient way to collect information
Compare ethnic, age, socioeconomic groups
Disadvantages
How the question is worded can alter the answers.
Who asks the question can also change the answer

4. CASE STUDY Advantages Disadvantages
Gives detailed description of a specific situation
Disadvantages
May be misconstrued if observer has preconceived ideas
Great potential for bias
Testimonial- an individual talks about their own experiences

5. EXPERIMENT Advantages Disadvantages Used to prove cause and effect
Only research approach to PROVE cause and effect
Disadvantages
Artificial environment may dissuade natural behavior

6. RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

7. I. INTERVIEWS AND QUESTIONNAIRES
Interview- ask questions, one on one setting about a person’s attitudes and behaviors
Questionnaire- asking subjects to read list of written questions and check off specific answers

8. II. STANDARDIZED TESTS
A test that has been given to hundreds of people and shown to measure emotions, behaviors, thought patterns and personality traits
Used to gather information from large groups of people
Used to compare different groups of people

9. III. LABORATORY EXPERIMENT
Used to gather information on the brain, genes or behavior
Has lowest possibility for error or bias
Use controlled environment for careful observation and measurement.

10. PLACEBO TREATMENTS
Placebo – intervention (pills or other medical treatments)
no medical effect
university and hospital research
Placebo effect – change in the illness attributed to the imagined treatment

11. IV. ANIMAL MODELS
Used to examine or manipulate a behavioral, genetic, or physiological factor that is similar to a human problem or condition.

12. RESEARCH SETTINGS Naturalistic Laboratory
Subject in their natural environment
Children, animals, social psychology
Observing without changing or controlling the situation
Humans and animals
Laboratory
Controlled conditions
Real world influences eliminated
Artificial environment

13. SCIENTIFIC METHOD Seven Rules Ask Identify Choose Assign Manipulate
Measure
Analyze

14. I. ASK Develop main questions about what you are trying to figure out
Hypothesis- an educated guess about a subject

15. II. IDENTIFY
Independent Variable - researcher controls or manipulates (new medication for children)
Dependent Variable - behavior of subject use (behavior of children)

16. III. CHOOSE Pick subjects for the experiment
Random Selection - each subject in a population has an equal chance of being selected

17. IV. ASSIGN
Experimental group - the group of subjects receiving the independent variable
treatment
Control Group - group of subjects that does everything the experimental group does except does not receive the independent variable
no treatment

18. V. MANIPULATE Manipulate independent variable
Ex: administer treatment
Double Blind Procedure - neither the subjects nor the researchers know which group is receiving the treatment

19. VI. MEASURE
In this step the researcher measures and observes how the independent variable affected the dependent variable

20. VII. ANALYZE
Compare and analyze differences in data