2. Research methods – cognitive
Lesson 1

3. What you should already know

4. What you need to learn
Methodological issues within cognitive psychology

5. Experiments Why is Bandura’s study an experiment?
Look through the study and pick out the elements you think make this study an experiment.
Why is Baddeley’s study an experiment?

6. The Experimental Method

7. Key steps in an experiment

8. When testing: One or two tailed hypothesis
Directional when testing - one tailed
Reasons for using :Previous research suggests the direction
Non-directional - two tailed : Change/difference is predicted, but not the direction it will go in.
Reasons for using : Allows for a difference/relationships occurring in either direction or Previous research has been inconclusive
Direction of results can be predicted

9. Quiz

10. Independent variable ?

11. Dependent variable?

13. Generating Hypothesis
Generate a hypothesis for each of the questions:
What are “football hooligans” really like?
Do children play differently at different ages?
What are the effects of caffeine on attention and concentration?
Identify the independent variable (IV) and the dependent variable (DV) from each hypothesis.
Identify whether your hypotheses are one tailed or two tailed (remember one-tailed hypothesis predicts the direction of the effect of the IV on the DV, whereas a two-tailed hypothesis does not).
Write a null hypothesis for each of the experimental hypotheses.

15. Operationalisation ?
Why do we need to operationalise them?

16. Operationalisation
Here are some research ideas. For each one, identify the IV & DV and suggest ways in which each could be operationalised:
Do people remember more about a topic they are interested in that about one in which they have little interest?
Are there gender differences in the amount of aggression shown by children in play?
Are neurotic people more likely to suffer from phobias?

17. Laboratory Experiment
Nature & Use
IV manipulated to observe the effect on DV, under controlled conditions.
Strengths
Weaknesses

18. Field Experiments
Which study did we look at that is considered to be a field experiment?
What are the elements of the study that make it a field experiment?
What type of setting is this conducted in?
Examples?
What are the similarities between a field and lab experiment?
Controls, IV, DV controls and aiming for cause and effect conclusions

19. Field Experiment Nature & Use Advantages Disadvantages
Investigate causal relationships in more natural surrounding
Advantages
Disadvantages

20. H/W Field experiment
Compare field and laboratory experiments in terms of strengths and weaknesses
Field
Term
Laboratory
Whereas
Similarly