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Psychological Methods. Psychology . An experimental science Needs evidence to support assumptions Scientific Method. Scientific Method. Surveys, Samples and Populations. Survey-people are asked to answer questions about a specific subject. What are the disadvantages of a survey?
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Psychology • An experimental science • Needs evidence to support assumptions • Scientific Method
Surveys, Samples and Populations • Survey-people are asked to answer questions about a specific subject. What are the disadvantages of a survey? People may not be honest, they may want to please the interviewer, they fear their answers may not be kept confidential. • Population-researchers need to make sure they have the right population. Why is population important? The outcome will not be accurate if they don’t have the right population. • Sample-A part of the population. They must represent the target population.
Methods of Observation • Tests-Personality tests, IQ tests • Case Study-an in depth investigation of an individual or group. (remember Billy?) • Longitudinal method- studies a group of participants over a long period of time. • Naturalistic –observational method-study people in their natural habitat • Laboratory method-provides a place to observe and study.
Correlations • Measure of how closely one thing is related to another • Positive-one goes up, so does the other • Negative-one goes up, the other goes down • Zero-there is no correlation shown • It describes relationships but does not mean that one thing causes another
Experimental Method • Tries to answer cause and effect. • Variables-things that can change or vary in an experiment. • Independent Variables are variables that can be manipulated. They are considered the stimulus. • Dependent variables are variable that depedn on the independent variable. They are considered the response. • For ex: The number of hours you study (IV) affects your performance on an exam. (DV)
Problems with research • Self fulfilling prophecy: having expectations about a behavior and then acting on it, often unknowingly, to carry out the behavior. • Single blind experiment: An experiment in which the participants are unaware of which participants received the treatment. • Double blind experiment: an experiment in which neither the experimenter or the participants know which participants received the treatment. • Placebo effect: A change in a patients illness that results form a belief that the treatment will have an affect rather than one from the actual treatment. (sugar pill)
