Becoming a Psychological Detective: Evaluating Claims and Research in Psychology

1. Chapter 1: Psychology, Research, and You Pages 2 – 21

2. When the city’s ice cream sales are highest, the number of drownings is also highest; therefore, increasing ice cream sales causes an increase in drownings. A series of Dutch statistics shows that an increase in the number of storks nesting in the area during the spring was related to an increase in the number of human babies born at that time. More storks must mean more babies, right? Food for Thought

3. Definitions of Psychology • The science of behavior and mental processes • “Inner” experiences like dreams • Scientific testing and causal relationships

4. Becoming a Psychological Detective • What is the claim and who is making it? • Personal Bias • Evaluate authority • Cultural Bias • Whose face is on a penny? • Who stole the greatest number of bases in a single season of professional baseball?

5. Becoming a Psychological Detective • Is the claim based on scientific observations? • Does the claimant use personal experiences or documented research?

6. Becoming a Psychological Detective • What do statistics reveal? • Are the test results statistically significant?

7. Becoming a Psychological Detective • Are there plausible alternative explanations? • Spurious relationships • ‘A’ may be related to or correlate with ‘B’, but ‘A’ does not cause ‘B’ • There is another explanation

8. The Incredible Edible Egg • Bias? Personal gain? • Observations? • My dad says… • Statistics? • Most vitamins are very low in amount, less than 1% • Other explanations? • Good nutrition and exercise • http://youtube.com/watch?v=UmPwL1YulMA

9. “Trimspa, Baby” • What are they selling? • Bias? • Statistics? • Results not typical • Other explanations? • Plastic surgery • http://youtube.com/watch?v=u9oMEfFlmYQ

10. Review • When evaluating a claim, ask: • What is the claim and who is making it? • Is the claim based on scientific observations? • What do statistics reveal? • Are there plausible alternative explanations for the claim?

11. Research Methods in Psychology • Scientific Method • Make careful and precise observations of a phenomena or event • Develop an explanation, a theory • Develop a hypothesis • Prediction about future behaviors • Test and retest the hypothesis

12. Types of Research Methods • The Case Study • Naturalistic Observation • Correlational Research • Survey Research • These methods cannot give us a cause-and-effect statement

13. Types of Research MethodsThe Case Study • Also called a clinical study • In Depth • One Person or Few People • Uses data from one person to understand the behavior in others

14. Advantages Researchers can gather a lot of detailed information Provides suggestions for further research Disadvantages Not always generalizable What we learn about one person may not necessarily apply to others Types of Research Methods:The Case Study

15. Types of Research MethodsNaturalistic Observation • Describes the settings, frequency, and characteristics of certain behaviors in the real world • Observe in natural settings • Experimenter does not interfere at all

16. Advantage Real life situation data instead of generalized or simulated Disadvantage Reactive Observations Ones that interfere with the behavior being studied Types of Research MethodsNaturalistic Observation

17. Types of Research MethodsCorrelational Research • Test of whether two items are related or tend to occur together • Example: SAT/ACT Exam scores and First-year GPA • Shown as a correlation coefficient (r) • Direction refers to Positive or Negative

18. Correlations Negative Correlation - 1.00 x ↓ , y ↑ OR x ↑ ,y ↓ Positive Correlation + 1.00 x ↑ , y ↑ OR x ↓ , y ↓

19. Studying time and grades Time spent reading and weight lost Cost of a diamond and number of carats Time spent eating and weight lost +0.90 -0.08 +0.70 -0.90 Correlations:

20. Types of Research MethodsSurvey Research • Gathers data from a sample that represents a larger population • Efficient way to collect lots of information • Face-to-Face interviews • Telephone • Written • Computer

21. Types of Research MethodsSurvey Research • Must find a representative sample • Reflects the larger population • Questions must elicit meaningful and useful responses • Must check questions for cultural and personal bias

22. Types of Research MethodsThe Experimental Method • Can provide cause-and-effect statements • Involves manipulating variables to determine how they affect other variables • Considered most powerful research method

23. Types of Research MethodsThe Experimental Method • Independent variable (usually x) • Variable manipulated to see effects on the dependent variable • Dependent variable (usually y) • Variable that shows the test results by reacting to the independent variable

24. The Experimental Method • Operational definitions • Precise definition that helps others replicate the experiment • Experimental group • Participants exposed to the independent variable • Control group • Participants not exposed to the independent variable

25. The Experimental Method • To insure reliability: • Repeat the research • Control extraneous variables • Ones other than the independent variable that can influence the outcome of the experiment • Select very similar control and experimental groups • Random assignment – based on chance

26. Statistics and Psychology • Statistics • Used to summarize, analyze, and interpret data • Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

27. Summarizes a set of numbers Measure of central tendency Mean Mode Median Measures of variability Range Standard Deviation Determines if ind. variable had a significant effect Mathematical odds of of the observed behavior Does it happen by chance? Descriptive vs. Inferential

28. Research Ethics • Protection from harm • Confidentiality • Voluntary Participation • Deception and Intimidation • Debriefing • Researchers must explain any deception at the conclusion of the experiment

29. The End