1. Research Methods

2. Getting Started... Spec Read Harlow’s Monkeys 1
Complete Harlow’s monkeys 2 to get you thinking about the Scientific Process in Psychology

3. The Nature of Science What makes science, science? Key factors:
Objectivity: not based on opinions or emotions. Info verified by measurements and based on empiricism.
Empiricism: the idea that science must be derived. from experience in the form o experiments
Replicability: findings should be public, and should be open or testing where the info can be verified
Rational: info must be consistent with known facts and follow rules and logic, which aids replication and understanding
Why do all of these make a science?

4. Examples of ‘Science’..? Millers Magic number 7
Sensing the presence of an evil spirit
Genie
Seeing a ghost
Freudian Techniques
The mono-amine hypothesis
Can you think of any examples
of science or non-science?

5. Science and Non-Science
Zechmeister and Zechmeister (2006); key features distinguishing the 2.
Empirical VS Intuitive
Collection of data is systematic and controlled VS biased and subjective
Testable hypotheses VS non-testable hypotheses

6. Can you think of any examples of science and non-science?
Try to think of examples we have studied that are science or non science
Or come up with examples of tests that would fit science or non-science

7. What we need to avoid...
Common Sense: We need to avoid conclusions which are drawn from our own experience and assumption, as this is often shown through scientific method that we can be wrong e.g. Helping behaviour
Belief-based: choosing to believe something to fit a norm of belief often in the face of contradictory evidence. We should look for an explanation for evidence, not evidence for an explanation
Pseudoscience: false science, looks like real science but is not replicable, not systematic and not from a verifiable source.
Are any of the articles you have fitting the above 3? How?

8. Articles... Read the article you have been given...
Is it based on science or non-science and why?
Answer the question at the bottom of the article.

9. The ‘OLD’ Scientific Process
Induction: Theories are created about data which has been observed. The end.
Deduction: theories are developed about observed data. Predictions are made which can then be tested again. If correct, the theory is supported.
Is this a good method? How can we know a theory is true?

10. “The truth content of our scientific theories cannot be verified only falsified”
Popper

11. Karl Popper The Hypothetico-deductive method
He criticised the old scientific method.
Falsifiability: a good theory is refutable.
We can never prove but we can disprove.
Created the ‘New Research Cycle’.

12. ‘No amount of observations of white swans can allow the inference that all swans are white, but the observation of a single black swan is sufficient to refute that conclusion’
Popper

13. Theories that survive falsification are not more ‘true’ but more ‘fit’
Popper

14. Complete the page on the Scientific Method using P508-509

15. HW: Alternatives to the Scientific Approach

16. Observed VS Critical For Chi Squared;
What is the critical for a 1 tailed test, 5% p-value and 21 participants?
For Mann-Whitney;
What is the critical for a 2 tailed test, 5% p-value and 11 participants?
For Wilcoxen;
What is the critical for a 1 tailed test, 5% p-value for 15 participants?

17. Validating New Knowledge
The Role of Peer Review

18. Choose the Stats Test!
I investigate if men cry more when watching a film than women. I show a group of men, then women The Green Mile, and I count how many times each one cries and put them into a graph.
Mann Whitney
I study the link between age and wrinkles.
Spearmans Rho
I carry out an experiment into the effect of caffeine on task concentration. I get a group to complete an online task, I then given them coffee and get them to do it again and record the score on each task.
Wilcoxen
I want to know if people can guess the flavour of fruit pastels or Starburst better. I record whether they were correct or incorrect on this.
Chi Squared.

19. Qualitative Analysis
Complete sheet

20. In Class Correlation
Use the guidance sheet to come up with your own correlation.
You must then make the following decisions:

21. Past Papers

22. Your Research Question
You need to know...
The sections of a Psychological Report.
How to carry out your research and how to write it up.
What you will do...
Research your chosen area to write an introduction
Learn how to write an abstract

23. How you need to prepare... Read the article you have been given.
Look at how the background research starts broad and filters down to the actual study they are doing.
You need to ensure that your research question is clear and ready to be researched, and that you know what you are looking for

24. The Abstract... Aims Findings Procedure Conclusions
You will also take part in your own psychological experiment which you will need to write an abstract for when you get back to school, therefore you must take with you a notepad to make a note of key points.
Today: Think of 2 studies you know well. In pairs you must go online and find the abstracts for these. Print them and label and highlight the key points as above.