2. Introduction to Psychology and Methods of Research
Chapter 1
Introduction to Psychology and Methods of Research

3. Foundations of Modern Psychology Psych-Mind Ology-Knowledge
Module 1.1
Foundations of Modern Psychology
Psych-Mind
Ology-Knowledge

4. You’re on a plane…. So what do you do….. What do your parents think?
What do your friends think?
What do YOU think?

5. What Is Psychology? The science of behavior and mental processes
What makes psychology scientific?
Evidence is valued over opinion and tradition

6. Psychology? Unknown to most people
Information concerning human behavior and the unconscious
Most who are considered to be in the field of psychology (as determined by the general population) are far from it.
SO WHAT?!

7. Psychology? Requires critical thinking skills!!!
More so than any other science.
Example: Chemistry
Hydrochloric Acid and Aluminum Foil: Predictions?
Example: Psychology
Josh’s parents get divorced when he is 7….when he turns 25 he will be __________________

8. Don’t know much ‘bout Philosophy: Dialectic Progression of Ideas: Hegel
Thesis
Antithesis
flaws/alt idea
flaws/alt idea
Synthesis:
best of both
New Thesis

9. Philosophical Roots Rationalist Empiricist Logic & reasoning
is key (Think about it)
Empiricist
Experience & observation
is key (Test it)
Clipart taken from Microsoft offices clip art images.

10. How does it all fit? Empiricism Rationalism (Locke) (Descartes)
Philosophy
Empiricism
(Locke)
Rationalism
(Descartes)
Synthesis:
Both have a role (Kant)

11. Founding of Psychology as an Independent Science
Wilhelm Wundt established the first scientific laboratory dedicated to study of psychology in 1879
Marked transition of psychology from philosophy to science
Repeat!

12. Wundt, Titchner, and Structuralism
Wundt was interested in studying people’s mental experiences.
Used introspection
Edward Titchner brought Wundt’s teachings and methods to US.
Wundt and Titchner are identified with school of psychology known as structuralism.

13. Mental life and experience can be reduced to parts.
Introspection
Mental life and experience can be reduced to parts.

14. William James and Functionalism
William James founded the school of psychology known as functionalism
Focused on the roles or functions that underlie mental processes
Why we do what we do
What do you experience
not as important as WHY

15. Structure vs. Function
That’s a carburetor!
That mixes air
and fuel!

16. John Watson and Behaviorism
Watson founded behaviorism
Psychology should be a science of behavior only
Can’t see all this mental junk!
What can you see?
Believed that environment molds behavior
By 1920s, behaviorism became dominant force in American psychology.

17. B. F. Skinner
Studied how behavior is shaped by rewards and punishments
Principles of learning apply to animals and humans alike.

18. Just a quick note… The psychologists of then:
The psychologist of today…..

19. Introduction to Psychology and Methods of Research
Chapter 1
Introduction to Psychology and Methods of Research

20. THE BOOKS ARE COMING!
….so they say

21. Last time…. 1. What is psychology
2. Philosophical roots of psychology?
3. Who were the first psychologists?
…we had a great time
We left off with behaviorism

22. B. F. Skinner
Studied how behavior is shaped by rewards and punishments
Principles of learning apply to animals and humans alike.

23. Max Wertheimer and Gestalt Psychology
Wertheimer was fascinated by the illusion of movement by objects in the distance.
Founded Gestalt psychology
How does the brain organize and structure our perceptions of the world?
What might be some neat stuff which we can study with Gestalt Principles?

25. One last good one….
Deals with motion……
“Aftereffect”-the cells in our eyes are following this light around and around and processing.
When we look away…cells still following the same pattern.

26. Figure 1.2: What Is This?
Gestalt maxim: “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

27. Sigmund Freud and Psychoanalysis
Founded psychodynamic perspective
Focused on the unconscious mind
Emphasized importance of early childhood experiences
Led to form of psychotherapy known as psychoanalysis
What is the unconscious?
Thoughts, memories and desires that
exert great influence on behavior.

28. Contemporary Psychology
Behavioral Perspective
Social-cognitive theory
Behavioral therapy
Psychodynamic Perspective
Humanistic Perspective
Human beings cannot be reduced to components.
Human beings have in them a uniquely human context.
Human consciousness includes an awareness of oneself in the context of other people.
Human beings have choices and responsibilities.
Human beings are intentional, they seek meaning, value and creativity.

29. Contemporary Psychology
Physiological Perspective
Evolutionary psychology
Cognitive Perspective
Sociocultural Perspective

30. Psychologists: Who They Are and What They Do
Module 1.2
Psychologists: Who They Are and What They Do

31. Types of Psychological Research
Basic Research: Focuses on acquiring knowledge, even if no practical application
Applied Research: Focuses on finding solutions to specific problems

32. Figure 1.3: Psychologists’ Areas of Specialization
Source: American Psychological Association, Research Office, Current Major Field of APA Membership by Membership
Status 2002, Updated April 2004.

33. Figure 1.4: Where Psychologists Work
Source: American Psychological Association, Employment Settings for PhD Psychologists: 2001,
APA Research Office. July 2003.

34. Major Specialty Areas Experimental Clinical Counseling School
Comparative
Physiological
Clinical
Counseling
School
Educational
Developmental
Personality
Social
Environmental
Industrial/ Organizational
Health
Consumer

35. Emerging Specialty Areas
Neuropsychology
Clinical neuropsychology
Geropsychology
Forensic psychology
Sports psychology

36. Introduction to Psychology and Methods of Research
Chapter 1
Introduction to Psychology and Methods of Research

37. Office Hours: M-W 9:45-10:15 Gartley Hall: Room 7 (cognition lab)
Or any other time……

38. Last Time 1. Gestalt Psychology 2. Freud
Whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
2. Freud
The unconscious mind directs behaviors and personality.
3.Where do psychologists work?
4. Themes in modern psychology

39. Themes of Psychology 1. Empirical Stuff!
Empiricism is the premise that knowledge should be acquired through observation (systematic)
Common sense, tradition, faith, dogma?
“People get sad around the holidays” (empirical ?’s)
How many people? Where? How do you know? What is the distribution? What do you mean by sad?

40. Themes of Psychology 2. Theoretically Diverse
A theory is a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations.
Multiple causes for phenomena.
Billy is a jerk:
Why?

41. Themes of Psychology
3. Psychology evolves in a social historical context.
Trends greatly influence what is done and studied in psychology.
Homosexuality?

42. Themes of Psychology 4. Heredity and Environment Nature vs. Nurture?
Which is it?
What do you think?
What do psychologists think?

43. Themes of Psychology 5. Our experience is HIGHLY subjective
Barry Bonds?
Love? Hate?
The scientific method is designed to counteract subjectivity.

44. Research Methods in Psychology
Module 1.3
Research Methods in Psychology

45. The goals of scientific enterprise
1. Measurement and Description
We must be able to measure and describe the phenomena under study.
Is there a God?
Why are people getting sick from Manoa Gardens?

46. The goals of scientific enterprise
2. Understanding and Prediction
Hypothesis?
Can we predict, control and explain?
My hypothesis is that they don’t wash their hands and there is bacteria in the food.

47. The goals of scientific enterprise
3.Application and Control.
We have our findings which show SUPPORT towards our theory…lets put it to work
Tell employees to wash hands!

48. Figure 1.7: General Steps in the Scientific Method

49. Case Study Method In-depth study of one or more individuals
Information drawn from interviews, observation, or written records
Problems with case studies:
Limitations of memory
Withholding of important information
Concerns over making favorable impressions

50. Survey Method
Information gathered from target groups of people through the use of:
Structured interviews
Questionnaires
Importance of random sampling
Problems:
Limitations of memory
Social desirability bias
Volunteer bias

51. Naturalistic Observation
Direct observation of behavior in natural environment
Problems:
May behave differently when aware being observed
Potential observer biases

52. Correlational Method
Used to examine the relationship between two variables
Correlation coefficient is a statistical measure of association
Can range from to (what does 0 mean?)
Positive vs. negative correlation coefficients
Limitation: Correlation is not causation!

53. Introduction to Psychology and Methods of Research
Chapter 1
Introduction to Psychology and Methods of Research 53 53

54. Last Time 1. Themes of psychology 2. The scientific method
Empirical stuff
Nature nurture
Historical context
Etc.
2. The scientific method
3. Case studies, Naturalistic observation, surveys, correlations

56. Benefits of the Correlational Method
Offers clues to underlying causes
Can identify groups at high risk for physical or behavioral problems
Increases understanding of relationships between variables or events

57. Experimental Method (the best)
Allows for investigation of cause-and-effect relationships
Independent Variables (IV): Factors that are manipulated in an experiment
Dependent Variables (DV): Outcome variables measured
IV (cause)  DV (effect)

58. Experimental Method Participants Random Assignment
Independent variable: control group
Independent variable: experimental group
Measure dependent variable: Is there a difference?

59. Extraneous variables?
Any variable other than the IV that seem likely to influence the dependent variable.
Confounding variables: Two variables are linked together in a way that makes it difficult to sort out specific effects.

60. Experimental Method Controlling for placebo effects (participant)
Controlling for expectancy effects (experimenter)
Single-blind and double-blind procedures

61. Our Study: Dewald et. al (2007)
Question: Does listening to Metallica improve performance on sudoku?

62. Our Study: What is our hypothesis? What is the IV? What is the DV?
How would you set up this experiment?

63. You try!
A cognitive psychologist wants to know whether lack of sleeping affects memory performance. She randomly assigns 10 participants to stay up all night at the lab by watching TV, playing board games, and reading. The other 10 participants are assigned to sleep a full 8 hours at night. The next day, the researcher has all 20 participants perform a memory test. The test consists of remembering pairs of words. She records how many pairs of words the participants recall successfully.
IV?
DV?
EG?
CG?

64. You try!
A psychologist is interested in whether watching violent movies produces a faster heart rate. He randomly assigns 20 participants to watch a discovery channel program titled “Mars Close-Up” (non-violent). He assigns another group of 20 to watch the video “Terminator 3: The rise of the machines” (violent). During the movie, he measures the participants’ heart rate. The psychologist then compares the recorded heart rates of the 2 groups.
IV?
DV?
EG?
CG?

65. You try!
A man is curious about whether wearing cologne makes him more attractive to his dates. He goes on 4 dates with cologne, and 4 dates without cologne. He then records whether he gets a goodnight kiss at the end of the night.
IV?
DV?
EG?
CG?

66. You try!
A truck driver wants to find out if caffeine will help his sleepiness during the long night hours he has to drive cross country. One night he drinks a coffee and 2 sodas, and another night he drinks water. He writes down how many times he yawns between midnight and 5 a.m.
IV?
DV?
EG?
CG?

67. Anatomy of a Research Study
Abstract (the big picture in 500 words)
Introduction (What’s out there? What needs to be done?)
Method (How did I do this…detailed!)
Results (What happened?)
Discussion (What does this mean? What next? What went wrong?)
References (Who inspired me?)

68. Becoming a Critical Thinker
Application: Module 1.4
Becoming a Critical Thinker

69. What Is Critical Thinking?
The adoption of a questioning attitude
Careful weighing of evidence
Thoughtful analysis of others’ claims and arguments
Requires a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and common knowledge

70. Features of Critical Thinking
Question everything.
Clarify what you mean.
Avoid oversimplifying.
Avoid over generalizing.
Don’t confuse correlation with causation.

71. Features of Critical Thinking
Consider the assumptions upon which claims are based.
Examine sources of claims.
Question the evidence upon which claims are based.
Consider alternative ways of explaining claims.

72. Thinking Critically About Online Information
Don’t suspend skeptical attitude when online!
Ask questions such as:
Who is posting the material?
Is the source a well-respected institution or one with no apparent credentials and perhaps an ax to grind?
Most trustworthy online information comes from well-known scientific sources.