1. Is language uniquely human?
Descriptive Studies
Case Study
A technique in which one person is studied in depth to reveal underlying behavioral principles.
OBJECTIVE 5| Identify the advantages and disadvantages of case studies in studying behavior and mental processes.
Susan Kuklin/ Photo Researchers
Is language uniquely human?
Psychology 7e in Modules

2. Pros/Cons of Case Studies
Provides in-depth info on individuals.
Provides data for future research.
Helps avoid ethical difficulties.
Cons
1. Rely on memories that can be inaccurate.
Cannot use to generalize about human behavior & can be hard to interpret.
They are not tests of hypotheses.
Can be expensive!

3. Survey *Can be descriptive or correlational
A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes, opinions or behaviors of people usually done by questioning a representative, random sample of people.
OBJECTIVE 6| Identify the advantages and disadvantages of surveys in studying behavior and mental processes, and explain the importance of wording effects and random sampling.
Psychology 7e in Modules

4. Pros/Cons of Survey Method
Can obtain descriptive info about large groups of people.
Provides data for use in studies using other methods.
Easy and inexpensive to administer.
Cons
Low response rate.
Volunteer bias *Must have random sample.
Subjects may lie or forget.
Wording Effect & False Consensus Effect can impact results.

5. Naturalistic Observation
Observing and recording the behavior of animals in the wild and recording self-seating patterns in a multiracial school lunch room constitute naturalistic observation.
OBJECTIVE 7| Identify the advantages and disadvantages of naturalistic observation in studying behavior and mental processes.
Courtesy of Gilda Morelli
Psychology 7e in Modules

6. Pros/Cons of Naturalistic Observation
Provides info about people and animals in real- world settings. Observe natural behavior.
Cons
Cannot talk or interact with subject.
Does not explain behavior.
Rater could be biased in observation. *Research bias of Participant bias could effect results.

7. Laboratory Observation
Subjects are observed in laboratory setting.
Pros
Observation takes place in a controlled environment.
Cons
Subjects may behave differently than normal.
Can describe but not explain behavior.

8. Tests
Used for psychological assessment such as intelligence, emotional states, personality traits, interests, aptitudes & values.
Types of Tests:
Objective tests- measure beliefs and behaviors. Ex: SAT or Myers-Briggs.
Projective tests- designed to tap the unconscious. Ex: Inkblot test.

9. Pros/Cons of Tests Tests musts be standardized, valid and reliable!!!
Easy to administer and assess.
Group tests are fairly inexpensive.
Cons
Subjects may lack motivation to do well or be poor test takers.
Some tests could be culturally biased.

10. Longitudinal vs. Cross-sectional Studies
Longitudinal vs.Cross-sectional Studies *May be descriptive, correlational or experimental!
Longitudinal- retesting the same people over a period of years.
Pros: Testing the same group will show true change of individual development & behavior.
Cons: Can take a lot of time and money.
Cross-sectional- researchers test & compare different people of various ages.
Pros: Saves time and costs less money to gather important info of development and behavior.
Cons: Can be comparing apples to oranges.

11. (positive or negative)
Correlation
When one trait or behavior accompanies another, we say the two correlate.
Indicates strength
of relationship
(0.00 to 1.00)
Correlation
coefficient
r = +
0.37
OBJECTIVE 8| Describe positive and negative correlations and explain how correlational measures can aid the process of prediction.
Correlation Coefficient is a statistical measure of the relationship between two variables.
Indicates direction
of relationship
(positive or negative)
Psychology 7e in Modules

12. Scatterplots
Perfect positive
correlation (+1.00)
Scatterplot is a graph comprised of points that are generated by values of two variables. The slope of the points depicts the direction, while the amount of scatter depicts the strength of the relationship.

13. Scatterplots
Perfect negative
correlation (-1.00)
No relationship (0.00)
The Scatterplot on the left shows a negative correlation, while the one on the right shows no relationship between the two variables.

14. Correlation and Causation
OBJECTIVE 9| Explain why correlational research fails to provide evidence of cause-effect relationships.
Psychology 7e in Modules

15. Exploring Cause and Effect
Experimentation
Exploring Cause and Effect
Like other sciences, experimentation is the backbone of psychology research. Experiments isolate causes and their effects.
OBJECTIVE 12| Explain how experiments help researchers isolate cause and effect.
Psychology 7e in Modules