1. Research in Psychology
A Scientific Endeavor

2. Goals of Psychological Research
Description of social behavior
Establish a relationship between cause & effect
Develop theories about why people behave the way that they do
Application

3. Empirical Research We can never prove!! Empirical Theory
Knowledge based on direct observation
Theory
Set of ideas which try to explain what we observe
Goal is to find support OR disprove
We can never prove!!

4. The Process of Doing Research
First, select a topic
Good theory:
Has predictive power
Is simple & straightforward
Then, search the literature
Have others tried this
How can your experiment be different

5. The Process of Doing Research
Next, formulate hypotheses
Hypothesis: specific statement of expectation derived from theory
Variable: can be any event, characteristic, condition, or behavior

6. The Process of Doing Research
Then pick your research method
Experiment (Design it)
Field vs. laboratory (Setting)
Finally, collect & analyze your
data

7. Let’s take a closer look . . .at variables
Dependent variable (outcome variable)
Dependent on the influence of other factor(s)
Independent variable (predictor variable)
Factor(s) that change the outcome variable
Control group

8. Research methods Types include 1) Naturalistic observation
2) Case studies- interviews, questionnaires, and psychological tests.
3) Surveys

9. Lab: The Hypothetical Snack Bar

10. 7 Rules of Conducting a Experiment in Psychology
Rule 1) Ask:
Rule 2) Identify:
Rule 3) Choose:
Rule 4) Assign:
Rule 5) Manipulate:
Rule 6) Measure:
Rule 7) Analyze:

11. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

12. Lab: The Hypothetical Snack Bar
1) Ask Question
2) Do background Research
3) Construct Hypothesis: Tell which soda will rate the best. Score on a scale of #1-6
4) Test Experiment:
Desk Side: Diet Soda
Door Side: Regular Soda
Stop and wait when finished and wait for instructions to switch

13. Lab: The Hypothetical Snack Bar
5) Analyze Results and Draw Conclusions
Graph Class Results
6) Hypothesis true or false….why?
7) Report Results

14. Analysis Questions Was the hypothesis proved or disproved?
What variables could of lead to inaccuracies with our results?
Did you see any differences between the control group and the experiment group? What are the differences and what lead to these differences?
Do you think our results reflect consumer sales for these products? What are other factors that lead differences in sales?
What did you learn from this experiment?