1. Research in Psychology
Chapter 2

2. Research 1. Basics of Science 2. Basics of an Experiment
3. Types of Research
4. Ethics

3. Scientific Methods
Scientific methods – follow rules, results should be clear, can be duplicated
Experimental method – follows the rule of the experiment – most scientific method – objective (free from opinion)
Descriptive method – observations, case-study reports – not scientific, but may be useful –subjective (might have opinion)

4. Scientific Approach Basis: What happens in nature follows a pattern
Psychologists believe they are scientists
Goals:
1. Observe, measure
2. understand & predict
3. apply to new situations & control

5. Scientific Approach 1. Observe, measure - be as complete as you need
- be consistent
- be clear & precise
2. Understand & predict
- hypothesis – an educated relationship

6. Scientific Approach 2. Understand & predict
- variable – something you are monitoring/manipulating (changing)/controlling
Examples: gender, temperature in this room, extra help, food

7. Scientific Approach 3. Application & control
Problem solving > how to reduce depression; make teachers more effective; get people to work faster
Control as much as possible – traffic accidents caused by white, yellow & lime-green traffic lights, so …

8. Scientific Approach
Theory – an explanation for a phenomena (something observed); really a system of ideas
Scientists report > now might explain why
Must be testable
Usually require multiple investigations
Focus on hypothesis rather than entire theory
Normal for theories to be revised/changed

9. How Science Begins 1. curiosity – what do you want to study ?
2. propose at least one hypothesis – educated guess
3. operationalize your definitions – how will you measure your variables & any changes – this has to be precise and understandable by others
4. Design your project – what method

10. How Science Begins
4. What method – no perfect design – surveys/questionnaires popular
- choose participants/subjects > people or animals that you use for the experiment – need representative sample
5. collect data – many different ways – find out some > surveys that subjects fill out are easy
6. analyze data - statistics

11. How Science Begins 7. decide what results mean
8. write up report > peer-reviewed journal
Why this method works ?
A. precision
B. mistakes should be discovered

12. Scientific Method
Experiment – test - carefully change a condition and determine if that changes something
Variables
Independent – one that can be changed/manipulated
Dependent – tied to independent variable

13. Scientific Method Experiment Subjects divided into at least two groups
1. experimental group – gets the change
2. control group – left alone, does not get the change
Pros
- may find cause-and-effect

14. Scientific Method Cons
- hard to apply to real world – life not controlled
- cannot manipulate some variables
Other methods: correlations, observations
Correlation – find the relationship with statistics – no manipulation – do x & y have a relationship ? How strong is it ?

15. Scientific Method Others
Naturalistic observation & description – just watch & no involvement
Case study & description – often with one subject, extreme case > Freud’s patients

16. Ethics Ethics – what is right
I want to study fear. Can I scare children ?
Treatment of animals
Treatment of people
- do they know they are in the experiment ?
- deception
- handling data