1. Science and the scientific method

3. What is a science?
 a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study
 knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific method (from merriam-webster.com)

4. Scientific method
From Price et al., 2017

5. Psychology’s PR problem
What do people say when you tell them you’re studying psychology?
Why?
Media coverage is affected by outside factors
Everyone thinks they are an expert
People aren’t good at evaluating evidence

6. Goals of psychology
Understand why people and animals behave and think as they do
Solve practical problems
Basic vs. applied research

7. Step 1 in the scientific method
Formulate testable hypotheses
Can come from:
Practical problems
Personal observation
Theory
Previous research
Empirical articles
Peer-reviewed

8. What makes a good hypothesis?
Specifies relationship between variables
Specifies variables in a measurable way (operational definition)
Operational definition= how you produce and measure a construct
Why do they matter?
Come up with operational definitions

9. Hypothesis assignment
Come up with 2 testable hypotheses for each of the following ideas:
Birds of a feather flock together.
A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
Actions speak louder than words.
A picture paints a thousand words.
Opposites attract.
Due a week from today

10. Evaluating research
Bias study