Methods of Observation...Ethics in Psychology Research

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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
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Section 3: Methods of Observation
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METHODS OF OBSERVATION
 Testing Method – several types of tests
measure various elements of human behavior
such as abilities, interests, and personality
 Case-study Method – researchers conduct
in-depth investigations of individuals or small
groups

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Section 3: Methods of Observation
METHODS OF OBSERVATION (continued)
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 Longitudinal Method – a group of participants
are observed at intervals over an extended
period of time
 Cross-Sectional Method – researchers
compare the differences and similarities
among people in different age groups at a
given time

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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Section 3: Methods of Observation
METHODS OF OBSERVATION (continued)
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 Naturalistic-Observation Method –
researchers observe the behavior of people or
animals in their natural habitats
 Laboratory-Observation Method –
participants are observed in a laboratory
setting

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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
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Section 3: Methods of Observation
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CORRELATION
 Correlation measures how closely one thing is
related to another

6. PPSSYYCCHHOOLLOOGGYY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Examples: Correlations
1. Positive Correlation= one variable increases
as the other variable increases
 As height goes up, weight goes up.
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7. PPSSYYCCHHOOLLOOGGYY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Examples: Correlations
1. Negative Correlation= one variable increases
as the other variable decreases
 The older the car, the lower the price.
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8. PPSSYYCCHHOOLLOOGGYY
PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
The Experimental Method
&
Ethical Issues
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Does not
receive the
treatment
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Example: Testing for Anxiety
1. Preliminary screening
of participants
3. Treatment phase 4. Post-treatment
phase
2. Random assignment
to conditions
Participants are
interviewed by
the researcher,
and their baseline
anxiety is
established.
Experimental
group
Receives
treatment
Reports on anxiety
Control group Reports on anxiety

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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Section 4: The Experimental Method
Question: What are the purposes and elements of
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experiments?
PURPOSES AND ELEMENTS OF EXPERIMENTS
 Researchers conduct experiments to learn
about cause and effect.
 Elements of experiments include: independent
and dependent variables, experimental and
control groups, and the placebo effect.

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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Experiments
 Direct way to test a hypothesis about a
cause-effect relationship between factors
 Factors are called variables
 One variable is controlled by the
experimenter
 Ex, democratic vs. authoritarian classroom
 The other is observed and measured
 Ex, cooperative behavior among students

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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Experimental Variables
 Independent variable
the controlled factor in an experiment
hypothesized to cause an effect on another
variable
 Dependent variable
the measured facts
hypothesized to be affected

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Experimental Variables
 Study predicting that pedestrians will walk
faster on hot days versus cold days.
 IV: temperature (hot vs. cold)
 DV: speed of pedestrian walking
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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
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Try it on your own
Identify the Independent & Dependent Variables
 Are younger siblings treated better by their
parents than older siblings?
 IV: Sibling status (younger/older)
 DV: treatment by parents
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Section 5: Ethical Issues
ETHICAL ISSUES AND RESEARCH
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 Protect study participants from harm
Maintain the scientific integrity of the study
 Promote the dignity of the individual
 Foster human welfare
 Confidentiality
 Informed Consent

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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
Psychologists also have certain rules and codes they
must follow in regards to the protection of the
public as well as the protection of their clients.
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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
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Ethical Issues in
Psychological Research
 Right to privacy
 Animal rights
Is there justification for discomfort or harm a
research procedure may produce?
 APA publishes ethical guidelines
American Psychological Association (APA)

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Animal Rights Harlow Monkey Study
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=OrNBEhzjg8I
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PRINCIPLES IN PRACTICE
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Ethical Issues  How far is too far?
 The Milgram Experiment
 Aim: Milgram (1963) was interested in researching
how far people would go in obeying an instruction if
it involved harming another person. Stanley Milgram
was interested in how easily ordinary people could be
influenced into committing atrocities for example,
Germans in WWII.
 http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/
curiosity/videos/the-milgram-experiment.htm 20

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Ethical Issues
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W147ybOdgpE
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON