1. E XPERIMENTAL P SYCHOLOGY AND THE S CIENTIFIC M ETHOD Psy105 - Experimental Psychology Chapter 1

2. C HAPTER O BJECTIVES Understand why we rely on scientific methods rather than common sense to explain. Learn the principles of the scientific method Learn the basic tools of psychological research Understand how “cause and effect” is established by experimentation

3. P SYCHOLOGY IS A S CIENCE ! Science = Content and Process Psychology is the science of behavior, thus it relies on scientific methodology and techniques in gathering data about, and analyzing behavior. These processes vary form surveys, to therapy sessions, to laboratory experimentations

4. Aside from science, where do we get knowledge from? Philosophy Folk wisdom Common sense

5. W HY S CIENTIFIC M ETHODOLOGY ? Because commonsense, though very useful, is not enough. Limitations of commonsense: Contradicting at times Gathered from small samples of behavior Might be biased Generally unreliable

6. W HERE DO C OMMONSENSE K NOWLEDGE C OME F ROM ? Seemingly credible and trustworthy sources People we like, respect, or admire Our own observations and interaction with others Upon believing something, we tend to notice things that confirm our beliefs more than those that disconfirm it.

7. N ONSCIENTIFIC I NFERENCES Traits, traits, traits Ay nadapa…Lampa! Stereotyping Basta kulot…. Poor calculations of the probability Na-fi-feel ko…tatama tayo sa Lotto! Overconfidence bias I’m super sure!

8. C HARACTERISTICS OF M ODERN S CIENCE

9. T HE S CIENTIFIC M ENTALITY Behavior must follow a natural order; therefore, it can be predicted. Faith in an organized universe is essential to science. Determinism

10. G ATHERING E MPIRICAL D ATA Describing the Universe’s order requires collecting empirical data – data that are observable or experienced.

11. S EEKING G ENERAL P RINCIPLES Data gathered should be organized through principles, such as laws or theories. Theories pull together or unify diverse sets of scientific facts into an organizing theme.

12. G OOD T HINKING Collection and interpretation of date should be systematic, objective, and rational. Openness to new ideas Follow the rules of logic Parsimony – When 2 explanations are equally defensible, the simplest explanation is preferred until it is ruled out by conflicting data.

13. S ELF -C ORRECTION Acceptance of the uncertainty conclusions Change is an important part of scientific progress Theories are best tested through attempts at falsification, not verification Modus tollens – we can never really prove that a statement is true, we can only prove that it is false.

14. P UBLISHING R ESULTS Science has become a highly public activity Continuous exchange of information and incorporation of findings is vital to the scientific process

15. R EPLICATION We should be able to repeat our procedures and get the same result. It gives us more confidence in our findings.

16. O BJECTIVES OF P SYCHOLOGICAL S CIENCE ( SCIENTIFIC M ETHOD )

17. D ESCRIPTION The initial step Information about what the behavior is like Systematic and unbiased account of the observed characteristics of behaviors

18. P REDICTION The capability of knowing in advance when a certain behavior would be expected to occur, because we have identified other conditions with which the behavior is linked or associated.

19. E XPLANATION To be able to understand what caused a behavior. Knowledge of the conditions that produced the behavior.

20. C ONTROL Application of what has been learned about the behavior Use of knowledge to effect change or improve behavior Applied research

21. T OOLS OF P SYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE

22. O BSERVATION Systematic noting and recording of events Events that are observable, or at least their observable signs This system should be used consistently in any given research Must be objective

23. M EASUREMENT The assignment of numerical values to observed objects or events according to conventional rules Should also be used consitently

24. E XPERIMENTATION Undertaken to test a testable prediction – a Hypothesis How a particular behavioral event will occur in certain, specifiable situations Involves manipulation of a setting

25. S CIENTIFIC E XPLANATION IN P SYCHOLOGICAL S CIENCE

26. T HE A NTECEDENT C ONDITION Explanation = specifying the antecedent conditions of an event or behavior Circumstances that come before the event or behavior XYZ  Helping XYZ  ? XYD  ?

27. C OMPARING T REATMENT C ONDITIONS Treatments – Manipulated specific sets of antecedent conditions Different groups of participants are exposed to different treatments so as to compare the effects of varying antecedents

28. T HE P SYCHOLOGY E XPERIMENT A controlled procedure in which at least two different treatment conditions are applied to two identical groups of subjects. The resulting behaviors are them measured and compared to test the hypothesis about the effects of the treatment conditions Careful control; other explanations should be ruled out.

29. T HE P SYCHOLOGY E XPERIMENT Treatment 1 (Hypothesize d Antecedent) Group 2Group 1 Treatment 2 (A Neutral Antecedent) Behavior

30. T HE P SYCHOLOGY E XPERIMENT Independent Variable Dependent Variable Control Group Experimenta l Group

31. E STABLISHING C AUSE AND E FFECT Only true experiment allows us to make causal statements Temporal relationship – a time difference holds in the relationship; the cause precede the effect

32. A CTIVITY Hypothetically design a simple experiment Should be: Psychological Testable/feasible Variables are measurable Ethical

33. A CTIVITY Present the following: Your educated guess Observational or theoretical basis for the guess Characteristics of the sample Treatment Conditions (IV and neutral) Behavior or event to be measured (DV) Diagram