1. Goals – Psychological Methods – Students will: 1. Learn how the scientific method applies to psychology. 2. Spend time discussing experiment proposals.

2.  Crash Course – Intro to Psychology ◦ http://viewpure.com/vo4pMVb0R6M http://viewpure.com/vo4pMVb0R6M

3.  http://viewpure.com/hFV71QPvX2I http://viewpure.com/hFV71QPvX2I

4.  Three Major Types of Research ◦ Surveys, Samples, and Population  People respond to a series of questions about a particular subject. ◦ Observational Techniques  Testing Method – using psychological testing to learn about human behavior.  Case-study Method – an in-depth investigation of an individual or small-group to generalized broader principals that apply to a larger population.  Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Methods  Longitudinal – study individual or group over a long period of time.  Cross-sectional – study of a set of individuals over a number of years to compare the behavior of participants in different age groups.

5. ◦ Naturalistic-observation method – to observe the subjects in their natural environment. ◦ Laboratory-observation method – to observe the subjects in the laboratory environment.

6.  Correlation – method to measure how closely one thing is related to another. ◦ Positive correlation – when both variables move in the same direction. ◦ Negative correlation – when both variables move in different directions.

7.  Experimental Method – method researchers use to measure cause and effect. ◦ Variables – factors in experiments that can vary or change.  Independent variable – factor that researchers manipulate to determine effect.  Dependent variable – depends on the independent variable  E.g., warm temps. cause aggression in humans – temperature is the independent variable and the level of aggression is the dependent variable.

8.  Experimental group – the group that receives the treatment (regular medication or temp. increase).  Control group – control group does not receive the treatment.  Placebo – a substance or treatment that has no effect apart from what the individual believes it does.  Single-blind study – participants do not know whether they are receiving the treatment or not.  Double-blind study – neither participants or researchers know who is receiving the treatment.

9.  Read Chapter 2