1. Research in Psychology

2. The Need for Psychological Science
Intuition & Common Sense
Many people believe that intuition and common sense are enough to bring forth answers regarding human nature.
Intuition and common sense may aid queries, but they are not free of error.

3. The Need for Psychological Science
Hindsight Bias is the “I-knew-it-all-along” phenomenon.
After learning the outcome of an event, many people believe they could have predicted that very outcome. Example: 9/11
OBJECTIVE 1| Describe hindsight bias and explain how it can make research findings seem like mere common sense.
“Anything seems commonplace, once explained.” Dr. Watson to Sherlock Holmes.
Two phenomena – hindsight bias and judgmental overconfidence – illustrate why we cannot rely solely on intuition and common sense.

4. How long do you think it would take to solve these?
LSVIE
ELVIS
OVLE
LOVE
HOKCS
SHOCK
IANPO
PIANO

5. The Need for Psychological Science
Sometimes we think we know more than we actually know =Over Confidence.
Anagram
How long do you think it would take to unscramble these anagrams?
WREAT
WATER
ETYRN
ENTRY
OBJECTIVE 2| Describe how overconfidence contaminates our everyday judgments.
People said it would take about 10 seconds, yet on average they took about 3 minutes (Goranson, 1978).
GRABE
BARGE

6. The Goals of Psychology?
Description
Describe or gather information about behavior
Explanation
Seek to explain why people behave the way they do
Hypothesis – educated guess about phenomenon
Theory – explanation based on findings from experimental studies

7. The Goals of Psychology
Prediction
As a result of tested knowledge
What will organisms do, think, feel in various situations
Influence
Manipulate an organism
Basic science – pursuit of knowledge
Applied science – want to solve problems
Ex. Orphans

8. Scientific Method Question Hypothesis Experiment Results Reject and
revise Hypothesis
Additional
Hypotheses
Conclusions
Other psychologist
Replicate and test
theory
Theory

9. Pre-research Decisions
Samples – relatively small group of a specific population
Representative sample – Population researcher is studying
Nonrepresentative sample – Over sampling a population

10. Pre-Research Example Example of Nonrepresentative sample.
I want to see how many ugly girls are in sororities on average
Representative sample – all sororities girls
Nonrepresentative sample – all good looking girls / all ugly girls

11. Pre-Research Decisions
Types of Samples to Avoid NS
Random Sample – Every person in group has equal chance of participating
Stratified Sample – Consciously picking people so that each sub group is represented
dang

12. Methods of Research
Naturalistic Observation – observing subject with out interference
“I have found that it isn’t only humans that have personalities, minds, and feelings.” – Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall

13. Methods of Research
Case Studies – intensive long-term study on a group or one person.
Results could be unique to that study
Does not prove or disprove anything.

14. Methods of Research Surveys Longitudinal Study
Fastest way to collect data
People usually more honest
Longitudinal Study
Study of the same group over a long period of time

15. Methods of Research Cross-Sectional Studies Correlation
Individuals are grouped on the basis of age
Then groups are sampled, researched
Correlation
To explain how two sets of data are related

16. Methods of Research
Positive Correlation means that two sets of scores such as height and weight, tend to rise and fall together.
Negative Correlation means that two things relate inversely, as one set of scores goes up the other goes down.

17. (positive or negative)
Methods of Research
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)

18. Methods of Research
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.

19. Methods of Research
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.

20. Methods of Research
Is this a positive or negative correlation?

21. Positive or negative?

22. Examples of Correlation
The higher the IQ the higher standardized test score.
The less someone stays sober, the less they go to work.
The more TV is on in the Homes of young children, the less time they spend reading (Kaiser, 2003).
The more sexual content teens see on TV, the more likely they are to have sex (Collins, et. al., 2004).
The Longer children are breast-fed, the greater their later academic achievements (Horwood &Fergusson, 1998).
The more income rose among poor families, the fewer psychiatric symptoms their children experienced (Costello, et. al., 2003)
The more beans Mr. Jenkins eats, the more air biscuits are created (Jenkins, right now).

23. Methods of Research Experiments Cause and effect Variables Independent
Focus of the study
Can be changed or alternated to observe effects
Dependent
factor that may change in response to an independent variable

24. Methods of Research Experiments
Identify Independent and dependent variables examples
A study was conducted to find the effect of breastfeeding on intelligence.
How does the number of hours you study affect your performance on an exam?

25. Methods of Research Experiments Experimental Group Control Group
Participants exposed to the independent variable
Control Group
Treated the same as experimental group
Not exposed to the independent variable

26. Avoiding Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
If you were told “You are going to die on Friday the 13th when you are 30 – do you think you would?
What if I said “you are for sure going to fail the first test!” – would you? Would it play any role in your studying?

27. Avoiding Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
a situation in which a researcher’s expectations influence that persons own behavior, and thereby influences the participants behavior.

28. Avoiding Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Single-blind experiment – participants are unaware who is getting “treatment” and who isn’t. Experimenter knows
Double-blind experiment – experimenter nor participants know which participants receiving treatment.

29. Avoiding Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Placebo effect – change in a patients illness or physical state that results solely from a patient thinking he/she is receiving a treatment.

30. But, is it ethical?