1 / 20

The Scientific Method

Discover the steps of the scientific method and explore different research methods used in psychology. Learn about scientific theories, experimental design, eliminating bias, and controlling variables.

jeanfreeman
Download Presentation

The Scientific Method

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Scientific Method State the problem. Gather information and develop a theory. Form a hypothesis. Test the hypothesis Record and analyze data. State the conclusion. Repeat the work. Stanley Gathered Few Trophies Racing Slow Rabbits.

  2. Scientific Theories... • Explain through an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts behaviors and events. • Seek to simplify things by organizing isolated facts • Must imply testable predictions (hypotheses) that enable a researcher to test/revise theory and derive practical applications from it

  3. Research Methods

  4. Pros & Cons

  5. Pros & Cons

  6. Pros & Cons

  7. Pros & Cons

  8. Pros & Cons

  9. Pros & Cons

  10. What does every good experiment need? • Hypothesis – measurable prediction • Replication – ability to repeat study/experiment • Population – all the cases in a group • Control condition – contrasts with experimental condition – that which is not manipulated (more about this later) • Random assignment – assigning subjects to experimental condition by chance

  11. What does every experiment… • Independent variable – that which is being manipulated – the variable whose effect is being studied • Dependent variable – what is being measured. May change in response to manipulations of independent variable • Operational definition – statement of procedures used to define variables

  12. What does every experiment… • Random sample – represents a population. Each member has an equal chance of inclusion in study. • Experimental condition – the condition that exposes subjects to one treatment

  13. More About Eliminating Bias and Confounding Variables • Need to eliminate: • experimenter bias: researcher expectations influence results and bias the results • demand characteristics: subjects discover the purpose of study and this “suggests” how they should respond

  14. Eliminating Demand Characteristics • Use single-blind procedure • Research design where participants don’t know which treatment group they are in (experimental vs. control) • Sometimes involves a placebo • Placebo: control condition; imitation pill, injection, patch, treatment etc. • Placebo effect: now used to describe any cases when experimental participants change their behavior in the absence of any kind of experimental manipulation.

  15. Eliminating Experimenter Bias and Demand Characteristics • Use the double-blind study • Both the experimenter and the subjects don’t know which group each subject is in (experimental group or control group)

  16. More About Controls • Between-subjects design • Participants in experimental and control groups are different individuals • Within-subjects design • Each participant is his or her own control • Ex: behavior of an experimental participant before receiving a treatment might be compared to his or her behavior after receiving a treatment • Counterbalancing • Used to eliminate order effects • Ex: half of subjects might have one of the treatments first and the other half of subjects might have the other treatment first

More Related