1. Correlational Research, what is it? Along with running experiments, psychologists conduct correlational research This is a means for psychologists to explore the relationship between two variables or two events In the case of experimental research, where the independent variable is controlled by the researcher, correlational studies involve the study of data where there is no control i.e. The effect of weather on someone’s attitude (S.A.D.S.), or the effect of heat on aggressive behaviour – no control on weather or temperature A correlation also allows a psychologist to make predictions i.e. correlating intelligence to academic success; while not necessarily the case, with intelligence comes academic success A prediction will only work if there is a definite strength between the two correlations (there is a bond tying them together)

2. Types of Correlations… Positive Correlation: when variables move in similar direction. i.e. Smoking & occurrence of lung disease; the correlation predicts that lung disease is a possibility but does not provide proof that x-amount of smokers will get lung disease Some positive correlations are a product of coincidence i.e. Wearing your favorite sweater when you write a test in search of good luck Correlations of coincidence promote the idea that while the sweater doesn’t bring you success, the feeling it brings you does… Superstitious people “live and die” by this premise (aka Tiger Woods & Mr. Hill)

3. Types of Correlations #2… Negative Correlations: When changes in events or variables move in opposite directions i.e. Age of someone and the amount of sleep required; infancy/young children/adolescents vs. adults As you grow older, the sleep you require is less than when younger (the sleep you want stays the same…) A negative correlation exists in the fact that as one variable increases (age) another decreases (sleep needed)

4. Flipside of Science & Psychology… The flipside of paring scientific approaches to psychology is the paring of non-scientific approaches to psychology… Usually involves phonies… If you want to be any sort of a professional – doctor, dentist, lawyer, a butcher, a baker, or a candlestick maker – you must obtain some sort of education to be labelled as such On the other hand what is really stopping you from just saying you are one of these professionals? This happens in psychology… Includes practitioners who follow non-scientific approaches to their craft, and are characterized as being ones who promise quick diagnosis, advice, and therapy i.e. Phrenologists (bumps on your head), astrologers, and numerologists. Treatment basically revolves around the premise of telling you to feel or act a certain way…

5. Phrenology 101

6. Parapsychology… what is it? This is a part of psychology that is concerned with the psychological phenomena that are to the side of, or go beyond, the main are of psychological knowledge and interest (aka “the real world”) Includes such things as: Psychokinesis – thoughts of an individual influence a performance or an event, i.e. psychics (in touch with forces beyond physical world) & jedis… Extrasensory Perception (ESP) – when knowledge appears to be gained independently of the known senses, i.e. spidey senses…

7. ESP expanded… One of the more interesting sides of ESP is known as telepathy Defined as “the transfer of thought from one person to another without the use of the senses” (aka “mind reading”), telepathy has been studied without any conclusive evidence to support its existence… Except for in movies Telepathy is viewed as either being nothing more than a person’s ability to pick up on social cues or coincidence Psychologists view telepathy as having doubts in its validity because: Results can be faked Experiments have not been repeated Experiments that have been repeated garner different results Psychologists aren’t testing the phenomena