2. Learning Goals
Explain the advantages of research over other ways
of knowing
Understand the ways in which bias can influence
research
Compare and contrast the advantages, disadvantages
and key characteristics of different research
strategies in psychology
Discuss the ethical guidelines that protect humans
and animals in psychological research
3. Why is research important?
Scientific method- a method of learning about the
world through the application of critical thinking and
tools such as observation, experimentation and
statistical analysis
Use to find out things that we have not known or to
even back up or change things that we know.
Common sense-takes you only so much
4. Observation and bias
Thinking critically- how are some ways that bias can
influence research
Observation most common way to collect data
confirmation bias- tendency to search for
information that confirms a preconception
Participant bias-a tendency for research
participants to behave in a certain way because they
know they are being observed or they believe they
know what the researcher wants
Nturalistic observation-observinbg and
recording behaviors without manipulation or control
5. Case Studies
Thinking Critically: why do psychologists use case
studies
Case studies-A research technique in which one
person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing
universal principles
can’t use case study everytime… abuse
6. correlation
Why is it impossible to conclude cause-and effect
relationships from correlational data?
Correlational study- A research project strategy that
investigates the degree to which 2 variables are related to
each other
Is not used to solve cause and effect
Perfect positive correlation
Perfect negative correlation
Moderate positive correlation
Moderate negative correlation
Used for making predictions
7. Surveys
Thinking critically why should we be cutious when
applying data obtained from surveys?
Survey method- a research technique that
questions a sample of people to collect information
about their attitudes or behaviors
Population- the entire group of people about whom
you would like to know something
random sample- a sample that fairly represents a
population because each member of the population
has an equal chance of being included
8. Longitudinal and cross-sectional study
Use of many types of tools
Longitudinal study- A research technique that
follows the same group of individuals over time.
Example test before the school year and after
Cross sectional studies- a research technique
that compares individuals from different age groups
at one time
Example people who watch mtv random sample
9. Experiments
Observatin, case studies, correlational studies,
surveys, longitudinal studies, and cross-sectional
studies are all important and most cases combined
with one another
Used to establish correlations
Experiment-A research method in which the
researcher mainpulates and controls certain
variables to observe the effect on other variables
Experiment only method in which can you can draw
conclusions in a cause and effect relationship.
Purpose is to control different variables in a study
10. Hypothesis and operational definition
First step develop hypothesis
Hypothesis-a testable prediction about the
outcome research
Start off with general predictions
Variables can be used to measure areas.
Operational definition-an explanation of the
exact procedures used to make a variable specific
and measurable for research purposes
get specific with ideas of how to define these areas
Should be appropriate for your research
11. Independent and dependent variables
Independent variable(IV)- The variable that the
researcher will actively manipulate and, if the
hypothesis is correct, that will cause a change in the
dependent variable
Presence of headphones
Dependent variable-The variable that should
show the effect of the independent variable
ALWAYS TRY TO DEFINE THESE
VARIABLES TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND
THE EXPERIEMENT
12. Groups, random assignment and confounding
variables
To make independent variable vary, researchers set
up groups of participants
Should have at least 2 groups an experimental group
and control group
Experimental group- The participants in an
experiment who are exposed to the independent
variable
Control group- the participants are not exposed to
the treatment
Control group serves as comparisons and are
important to the experiment
13. Groups cont…
Number of size in the experimental and control groups
vary and depends what you are trying to prove
How do we determine who to put in experiment??
Random assignment- A procedure for creating
groups that allows the researcher to control for
individual differences among research participants
Differences that we can’t necessarily control( mental
state, health and so on)
Confounding variable- in an experiment the variable
other that the IV that could produce a change in the
dependent variable
14. Factors
Psychologists must make sure that the participants
are not aware of the hypothesis
Do not tell them the hypothesis until after the data
has been collected
Double blind procedure-a research procedure in
which both the data collectors and the research
participants do not know the expected outcome of
the experiment(effective studying)
Helps see not only what the experiment wanted to
see but also to see other areas which they didn’t
expect
15. Placebo- an inactive pill that has no known effect
Used when doing experiments with drugs
Done with the experiment now what….
Statistically significant
See the difference between the groups, uniform
results and how many participants are in the group
Replicate- to repeat the essece of a research study
to see whether the results can be liably reproduced
16. Ethics
Ethics play an important role in society
Example-cant replicate abuse so you use case studies
Human research and animal research refer to page
69 in book
Many rules that will help protect people and animals
and keep you out of jail
