3. Psychology
Definition: the study of mind and behavior
psyche = life + logos = explanation
Purpose: to develop a deeper understanding
of how we think and how we behave
27. Advertisements
Can you think of some advertisements that
are particularly successful?
What were they trying to sell?
What made them successful?
28.
29. Everyday Psychology
In a way, everybody is a psychologist:
² we all ask and answer questions about our
world
² we want to know why things happen,
when and if they are likely to happen again,
and how to reproduce or change them –
to predict our behavior and that of others
36. Psychology
‘scientific’ – based upon research
research design is based upon principles
testing (and rejecting) hypotheses
sample size
often use statistics to analyze the data
thorough testing and retesting of results
38. Falling in Love …
Volunteers would meet one of the experimenters,
believing that they would be starting the experiment
shortly. In reality, the experiment began when the
experimenter, seemingly struggling with an armful of
folders, asks the volunteer to briefly hold their coffee.
As the key experimental manipulation, the coffee was
either hot or iced. Subjects then read a description of
some individual...
Students who had recently been
cradling the warm beverage were
far likelier to judge the fictitious
character as warm and friendly
than were those who had held the
iced coffee.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/
40. Job Hunting
Volunteers were asked to evaluate
the resumes of supposed job
applicants where, as the critical
variable, the resume was attached
to a clipboard of one of two
different weights.
Subjects who evaluated the candidate while
holding the heavier clipboard tended to judge
candidates to be more serious, with the
weight of the clipboard having no effect on
how congenial the applicant was judged.
After all, we say things like “weighty
matter” or “gravity of a situation.”
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/
44. Job Hunting
Subjects either did or didn’t read an article
about the health risks of airborne bacteria. All
then read a history article that used imagery of
a nation as a living organism with statements
like, “Following the Civil War, the United
States underwent a growth spurt.”
Those who read about scary
bacteria before thinking about the
U.S. as an organism were then
more likely to express negative
views about immigration.
45. Psychology
variable: a characteristic of something
independent variable: the characteristic that
you can change (you can control)
dependent variable: the characteristic that is
affected by that change (you cannot control)
48. Psychology
variable: a characteristic of something
independent variable: the characteristic that
you can change (you can control)
dependent variable: the characteristic that is
affected by that change (you cannot control)
intervening variable: another variable that
might explain the dependent variable
49. Falling in Love …
Volunteers would meet one of the experimenters,
believing that they would be starting the experiment
shortly. In reality, the experiment began when the
experimenter, seemingly struggling with an armful of
folders, asks the volunteer to briefly hold their coffee.
As the key experimental manipulation, the coffee was
either hot or iced. Subjects then read a description of
some individual...
Students who had recently been
cradling the warm beverage were
far likelier to judge the fictitious
character as warm and friendly
than were those who had held the
iced coffee.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/
50. Psychology Research Principles
What is the hypothesis?
What is …
the independent variable?
the dependent variable?
the intervening variable?
How should they do the experiment?
How big should the sample size be?
What kind of people should participate?
51. Job Hunting
Volunteers were asked to evaluate
the resumes of supposed job
applicants where, as the critical
variable, the resume was attached
to a clipboard of one of two
different weights.
Subjects who evaluated the candidate while
holding the heavier clipboard tended to judge
candidates to be more serious, with the
weight of the clipboard having no effect on
how congenial the applicant was judged.
After all, we say things like “weighty
matter” or “gravity of a situation.”
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/this-is-your-brain-on-metaphors/
52. Psychology Research Principles
What is the hypothesis?
What is …
the independent variable?
the dependent variable?
the intervening variable?
How should they do the experiment?
How big should the sample size be?
What kind of people should participate?
53. Job Hunting
Subjects either did or didn’t read an article
about the health risks of airborne bacteria. All
then read a history article that used imagery of
a nation as a living organism with statements
like, “Following the Civil War, the United
States underwent a growth spurt.”
Those who read about scary
bacteria before thinking about the
U.S. as an organism were then
more likely to express negative
views about immigration.
54. Psychology Research Principles
What is the hypothesis?
What is …
the independent variable?
the dependent variable?
the intervening variable?
How should they do the experiment?
How big should the sample size be?
What kind of people should participate?
55. Your Research Project
What is your topic?
What is the hypothesis?
What is …
the independent variable?
the dependent variable?
the intervening variable?
How should you do the experiment?
How big should the sample size be?
What kind of people should participate?
