Psychology @ St. Bartholomew’s School

1. Psychology @ St. Bartholomew’s School An Introduction to AS Psychology and the expectations of all AS students throughout their A2 career

2. What is Psychology? • Psychology is the science of mind and behaviour. • The methods in science are applied to understand why we behave as we do. • You will NOT learn what other people are thinking! • Covers a wide area including child development, mental illness and memory.

3. Psychology as a science Psychology considers itself as a science because of its application of the hypothetico-deductive model and the application of the scientific method. Psychology is committed to understanding human behaviour through objective research methods adhering to the principles of quantification, objectivity, falsification and Empiricism. Triominoes

4. Teaching and Learning • Presentations • Discussions • Note making • Essay writing • Reading • Practical Activities • Replications of Research • Survey research • Videos • Research

5. Skills • Communication (verbal and non-verbal) • Essay writing • Time management • Research • Analytical • Evaluation • Critical thinking • Listening • How Science Works

6. The structure of the AS • All modules are exam based at the end of the year! • No coursework!! • Answer short essay questions and short answer questions; to show a detailed understanding and evaluation of research content.

7. PSYA1 • Attachments in children • Attachment in Everyday life: Day care • Research methods • Investigations, techniques and data analysis • Models of Memory. • Memory in Everyday life: Eyewitness testimony

9. Loftus experiment

10. Finding meaning in the method Aims To gain an understanding of experimental design To be able to identify methodological flaws in laboratory experimental research

11. Experimental Design: Variables • Key concepts • Control • Replication • Independent variable • Dependent variable • Extraneous variables • Participant variables • Situational variables • Experimental Designs http://garetheebbs.wordpress.com/

12. The experiment is the most meaningful tool used in science. • Psychologists employ this tool to investigate all aspects of behaviour.

13. Reaction Time Experiment Hypothesis: ‘Females react faster than males’

14. Definition of Reaction Time This is called operationalising This will be the interval between stimulus presentation and a subjects reaction

15. Operationalising • When the variables have been defined clearly and objectively. • It is the process of devising a way of measuring a variable. • In Baddeley’s example, the researcher was investigating memory, the operationalized variable was the number of digits being recalled.

16. Reaction Time Test Male versus Female

17. Participants

18. First trial

19. Evaluation of method Relevant and Irrelevant variables

20. Second trial

21. Evaluation of method Relevant and Irrelevant variables

23. A variable • A variable is a precise, technical term used to describe a quantity of interest (that can change or vary) • To establish cause and effect between two variables they will use an experimental method, manipulating one variable to affect change in another. • To establish a relationship the research will use a correlational method

24. Operationalising • When the variables have been defined clearly and objectively. • It is the process of devising a way of measuring a variable. • In Baddeley’s example, the researcher was investigating memory, the operationalized variable was the number of digits being recalled.

25. Video Clip

26. Video Clip

27. Experimental Design: Variables EV’s IV DV

28. Experimental Design: Variables EV’s • Key concepts • Control • Replication • Independent variable • Dependent variable • Extraneous variables • Participant variables • Situational variables • Experimental design IV DV

29. The Independent Variable (IV) • ‘There will be a difference in the number of words Pps can recall under organised and unorganised conditions’ • The number of words will be affected by the type of organisation used. • The IV is the organisation, as this is manipulated to affect change in the DV, dependent variable, number of words. IV DV

30. IV and DV • The IV is manipulated and the DV is measured • The IV and the DV are only used in experimental conditions

33. Extraneous variables • There are a number of different types of extraneous variables that psychologists must take into account when implementing their investigations: • Situational V’s: relating to the environment; time of day, temperature, lighting, instructions. Controlled through standardisation • Participant V’s: intelligence, age, gender and personality. These are controlled through experimental design (matched participants), random assigning reduces bias

34. Controlling extraneous variables • In research we have to control the EV’s to be sure that the effect on the DV is caused by the manipulation of the IV. • For example, ‘There will be a difference in the number of words Pps can recall under organised and unorganised conditions’ • EV’s interfere with the experiment. If we test the organised group in a quiet room and the disorganised group in a noisy room we have a EV. The EV is the level of noise, this could have affected the change in the DV. • To control the EV we must test each group in the same identical environmental conditions.

35. Demand Characteristics and Investigator effects • In addition to situational and Participant variables there are other variables such as demand characteristics and investigator effects • Demand characteristics: invite the Pps to behave in a particular way, these are usually the cues in the environment that make the Pps think that they should behave in a particular way • Investigator effects: aspects of the experimenters appearance or behaviour that can lead Pps to think that they should act in a certain way • If these are not controlled they present a threat to internal validity • controlled = high internal validity

36. Controlling these threats • Demand Characteristics: Single Blind technique • Investigator effects: double blind technique

37. Which are true? Psychological Misconceptions. 1. Most people use only 10% of their brains. 2. There are striking stylistic differences between the two hemispheres of the brain, with the left being “analytic” and the right “creative.” 3. Most “crack babies” end up with serious neurological deficits. 4. People with one eye cannot see in three dimensions. 5. Subliminal messages can be used to persuade others to purchase products. 6. Brain activity almost stops during sleep.

38. Memory Experiment Replication

39. Glanzer & Cunitz (1966) • Serial position experiment • PPs hear a list of words. Asked to recall them in any order (free recall) • Cond 1: immediate free recall • Cond 2: free recall after interference task • To obtain results, plotted position of each word in the list against how many of the PPs recalled it

40. Primacy Effect: LTM Recency Effect: STM Without interference task With interference task Glanzer & Cunitz (1966) % recall by PPs Position in word list

41. Glanzer & Cunitz (1966) www.psychlotron.org.uk • Serial position experiment • PPs hear a list of words. Asked to recall them in any order (free recall) • Cond 1: immediate free recall • Cond 2: free recall after interference task • To obtain results, plotted position of each word in the list against how many of the PPs recalled it

42. Primacy Effect: LTM Recency Effect: STM Without interference task With interference task Glanzer & Cunitz (1966) % recall by PPs Position in word list

43. Glanzer & Cunitz (1966) • Results: • PPs recalled more words at beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of the list • The interference task removed the recency but not the primacy effect • Implies that primacy words were stored somewhere different to recency words • We have two separate memory stores

44. Experimental checklistHow would you conduct a memory experiment? • What would need to be included: • Standardised instructions • Operationalised variables • Competence • Ethical issues addressed • Informed consent • Right to withdraw • Debriefing • No Psychological or physical harm

45. HW (No wikipedia) Use Openhive • Write up you G and C experiment • Sampling and ethics sheet • Research the following brain damaged individuals: • HM • KF • Clive wearing • You must write a summary of the memory deficit: • Whether it is short term (STM) or long term (LTM)