1. The Science of Psychology
Unit 1
Lesson 4

2. Objectives Students will define psychology.
Students will identify the goals of psychology.
Students will explain why psychology is considered a science.
Students will analyze the scientific method.

3. Review Stone Age? Greeks & Romans? Enlightenment? Pseudosciences?
Psych as Science?
Psychoanalysis?
Behavioral?
Cognitive?
Humanistic?
Neurobiological?

4. Review Stone Age? Greeks & Romans? Enlightenment? Pseudosciences?
Evil Spirits
Trephining
Greeks & Romans?
Aristotle
Hippocrates Humors
Galen’s Traits
Enlightenment?
Body is Machine
Descartes Mind-Body
Pseudosciences?
Phrenology - Bumps
Mesmerism - Hypnosis
Psych as Science?
Fechner – Psychophysics
Wundt – 1st Lab
Titchener – Structuralism
James - Functionalism
Psychoanalysis?
Freud
Id-Superego-Ego
Unconscious
Behavioral?
Watson
Antecedent – Behavior - Consequence
Cognitive?
Piaget
Input – Process - Output
Humanistic?
Maslow & Rogers
Hierarchy of Needs
Want to self-actualize
Neurobiological?
Genes, hormones, chemicals
Medication

5. Warm Up Let’s do a physical warm up today…let’s go for a little walk!
Quick rule: you must be very quiet!!!!

6. Define PSYCHOLOGY-
The scientific study of the mental processes and behavior of organisms (human/animal).
Scientific?
Mental Processes?
Behavior?

7. Goals of Psychology To describe behavior To explain causes of
To predict future behaviors
To control negative behaviors
To improve quality of life
Basic vs. Applied Science

8. Making Research Scientific
Research must be
Replicable: others repeat & get same results
Falsifiable: stated in way that it’s possible to reject
Precise: define & state exactly how variable will be measured
Parsimonious: simplest explanation possible

9. Ethical Considerations
With humans
APA Guidelines
Informed consent
Safety
Privacy
When is deception ethical?

10. Ethical Considerations
With animals
APA & Federal Guidelines
Least invasive procedures
Humane conditions
Clear benefits of research

11. Scientific Method Identify specific problem or question
Form a hypothesis
Conduct a study (research)
Analyze data
Construct theory
Retest

12. Descriptive Studies Observation-
Natural: observe in natural environment
Directed: observe in controlled environment (lab)

13. Descriptive Studies
Case Study
In-depth description of one individual

14. Descriptive Studies
Survey
Questionnaires and interviews

15. Descriptive Studies Testing Measure traits and characteristics
Reliable & Valid

16. Descriptive Studies Correlational Studies
Statistical methods to reveal strength of relationships between variables.
Correlational Coefficient- # between and that expresses the strength of a relationship
Positive Correlation- When two variables increase or decrease together (Ex- Frustration and Aggression)
Negative Correlation- When one variable increases as the other decreases (Ex- Stress and Health)

17. Correlation vs Causation
Just b/c two things are related doesn’t mean one thing caused the other!
Ex: Scary movie & nightmares

18. Methods of Psychological Research
Experimental Method
Seeks to confirm (hypothetical) cause and effect relationships.
Overheads…

20. Experimental Method Vocab
Independent Variable- condition that is manipulated
Dependent Variable- behavior being measured
Experimental Group- subjects that receive treatment
Control Group- subjects who don’t receive treatment, or receive
Placebo- bogus treatment’
Selection Bias- occurs when differences between groups are present at the beginning of the experiment

21. Experimental Method Vocab
Subject Expectancy- subject’s beliefs can influence his/her perception/behavior
Blinds- subjects who are unaware of the treatment, to control for the effects of subject bias.
Double-Blind Study- neither the subjects nor the experimenters know who has received the treatment

22. Activity 1 – Apply Experimental Method
A psychologist studying memory wants to test the hypothesis that an herbal supplement aids memory. The research involves having 80 people complete a memory test. Half of these individuals first consumed the herbal supplement; the other half consumed a placebo pill.
Independent Variable?
Herbal supplement
Dependent Variable?
Memory Retention
Control Group?
Took placebo
Experimental Group?
Took herbal supplement

23. Activity 1 – Apply Experimental Method
An educational psychologist wants to explore whether a new math program, which uses textbooks with special colored pictures, will help high school students in learning geometry. Half of the students are randomly assigned to traditional textbooks, while the other half are assigned to the special textbooks. Scores on a standardized geometry test are measured at the end of the semester.
Independent Variable?
New math book
Dependent Variable?
Performance on geometry test
Control Group?
Traditional book
Experimental Group?
New textbook

24. Methods of Research Studies can be Longitudinal Cross-Sectional
Study one group over period of time
Cross-Sectional
Study several groups at one time
Cross-Sequential
Study several groups over period of time

25. Activity 2 Create a T-Chart in your notes:
With a partner, identify one advantage and one disadvantage for each method of psychological research we studied today.

26. Methods of Psychological Research
Advantages
Disadvantages
Natural Observation
Behavior studied is completely natural. Study in situations and environments can’t be duplicated in a lab. Useful for generating hypotheses.
Researchers can’t interact with subjects…may misinterpret behaviors. Interpretations may be personally biased. May be hard to conduct unobtrusively.
Directed Observation
(Laboratory)
Provides accurate information b/c it allows control of variables and reduction of error. Use of sophisticated equipment for measurement. Useful for generating hypotheses.
Artificial setting may not reflect real world behaviors. May yield biased results.
Case Study
Can obtain detailed background info that may shed light on present behaviors. Extensive information about a subject. Good way to generate hypotheses. Yields data other methods can’t provide.
Gaps and factual inaccuracies. Distort pasts to please selves/researcher. One past may not apply to all. Time consuming. Can be subjective, may yield biased results.
Survey
Can gather a lot of information from a lot of people quickly. Cheap and easy to conduct. Good way to generate hypothesis.
Sample may not represent whole. Questions may be phrased poorly or misunderstood. Misinterpretation of results based on bias. Don’t directly observe what is reported, rely on self-reported data.
Testing
Accurate, objective info because most are normed and standardized. Little opportunity to distort results. Gives information about diverse characteristics such as personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, values.
Must be reliable and valid in order to use. May respond in socially desirable way. Improve from one test to another b/c of familiarity, not aptitude.
Correlational Study
Can help predict behaviors. Can indicate possible causes of behaviors.
Can’t indicate cause-effect relationships. Can’t account for all possible factors/variables.
Experiment
Can identify cause-effect relationships with little error and bias, if properly set up and carried out. Distinguish between placebo effects and real effects of treatment or drug.
Information from one study may not apply to other situations. Subject expectancy/researcher bias
(can be avoided with blinds). Results may not generalize to real-world situations.

27. Activity 3
In your groups, select two of the situations and decide which method of research would be best used to achieve the goal/objective of the situation. Explain.
Also, decide which of the methods would be the least effective for each of your situations. Explain

28. Methods of Research
You are interested in the honesty of people in America, especially with regards to stealing or taking objects which aren’t theirs. How could you determine how honest people are, including what % of the population can be trusted at any given time?
You’re interested in finding out what effects the moderate use (3-5 x’s per week) of marijuana has on high school students, including effects on academic performance, social relationships, motivation and accomplishments.
You wish to ascertain the effects of high Vitamin C on older (65+) peoples’ health.
You are ready to develop a romantic relationship with someone and you want to find the best person to meet your needs. How would you go about this?
You think your partner is cheating on you and you want to find out if this is true and, if so, with whom.
You want to find out who the smartest person is in the senior class.
You’ve been hired to determine the effects of caffeine on the mental alertness of truck drivers for a large cross-country shipping firm.

29. Closure
Do you think it is ethical to use animals in psychological research? Why or why not?