1. Research Methods
Science of Psychology

2. Psychology as Science Critical Thinking Overconfidence Hindsight Bias
Overconfidence: the tendency to be more confident than correct--to overestimate the accuracy of one's beliefs and judgments. We think that we know more than we actually know
Hindsight Bias: Knew it all along phenomenon, tendency to have foreseen outcome of events way after the fact.
ex:9/11

3. Skepticism vs Cynicism
Assumptions
Evidence
Fact
What if anything would ever cause you to change your mind?
Hamm: Nothing
Nye: Evidence

4. Scientific Method Theory Hypothesis Operational Definition Replication
Hypothesis: Statement of relationship between two variables based on testing and observations.

5. How do we observe behavior?
Case Study
Survey Method
Random Sampling
Naturalistic Observation

6. Correlation Prediction of one variable to another
Correlational Coefficient
-1 +1
Are correlations we believe to exist with no actual correlation exists. Many times you are thinking about a song you turn on the radio and it is playing, or you are thinking about someone and that person happens to give you a call or a text, you assume that there is some supernatural correlation or some other explanation other than random chance.
Lotto tickets
Machine in Vegas with the slots that gives the illusion of correlation when in fact, non exists

8. Illusory Correlations
Perceived Correlation
Cards

9. Experimental Method Correlational vs Experimental
Manipulation of Variables
Reduce Confounding Variables
Random Assignment
Random Selection
Control Group Vs Experimental Group

10. Eliminating Confounding Variables
Single Blind Study
Double Blind Study
Placebo Effect
Placebo: Results Caused by assumption

11. Independent vs Dependent Variable
DV= Measured Variable
IV= Manipulated Variable
Independent variable is the one that the researcher manipulates
Dependent variable is the behavior or mental process that is being measured.
In other words it is the factor that may change as a result of the independent variable .
If the dependent variable changes only when the independent variable is changed then the researcher could can conclude that the change in the independent variable caused the change in the dependent variable.
Easier way to see it is that the independent variable is the cause and the dependent variable is the effect
An even easier way to figure it out is to put it in an If then situation
The sentence would be IIF……(independent variable) …..THEN….(dependent variable)
“If students study for a quiz the night before , rather than in the morning then they will get higher scores on the quiz”

12. Measures of Central Tendency
Mean
Median
Mode

13. Measures of Variability
Range
Variance
Standard Deviation
Variability just describes the spread of scores in a set of research data
Range is the easiest as it is the difference between the lowest and highest scores, however it only provides a crude measure of variance.
Variance and standard deviation indicate the degree to which scores differ from each other and vary around the mean value for the set
Variance is found by finding the difference between the value and mean , squaring each diffrence and then summing the squared diffrences and then dividing them to find the average.
The standard deviation is the square root of the varience.

14. Standard deviation tells us how different the scores are from each other.

16. Statistical Significance
Population Size
Relationship between variables is not due to chance

17. Ethics in Psychology APA Informed Consent Debriefing
Participants are told enough to know if they want to participate in the study or not
Debriefing is letting the participants know the results of the study

18. Quick Quiz: Operationally Define Doing HW
Difference between random selection and assignment
What is a confounding variable? Example
Which type of observation is best to see humans behaving in normal environmental conditions?
Define hindsight bias
Which one of the following is the weakest correlation:
1: -.70
2. .50
4. .52

19. Quick Quiz Per 7 What is a double-blind study?
Define confounding variable and provide an example.
What are the benefits and the downsides of Case Studies?
Difference between random selection and assignment
What is the “Knew it all along phenomenon”?
Which one of the following is the strongest correlation?
1) .89
2) -.95
3) .50
4) .04
5) -.80

20. FRQ
Professor Hahn received a grant to study the relationship between childhood obesity and video game playing. Answer the following questions about Professor Hahn's research study: A. Explain how Professor Hahn could use each of the following research methods to study this topic: • Case study • Survey • Naturalistic observation B. Design an experiment Professor Hahn could use to investigate this topic, including the following terms in the context of your design. • Operational definition • Independent and dependent variable • Random assignment C. Explain how Professor Hahn's experimental design would conform to ethical guidelines.

21. Answers
Point 1: Case Study: Students should note that Professor Hahn should choose one child and gather detailed information about that child's video game habits and health (such as eating habits, weight, and other related factors).
Point 2: Survey: Students should note that Professor Hahn should gather data from a large sample of children representing his population of children through a survey measuring both video game playing and obesity.
Point 3: Naturalistic observation: Students should note that Professor Hahn should gather data about children's video game habits and health by observing behaviors in a public setting.
Point 4: Operational definition: Students should provide at least one correct operational definition for video game playing (such as timing how long children play video games) and obesity (such as calculating body mass index).
Point 5: Independent and dependent variables: Students should identify video game playing as the independent variable and obesity as the dependent variable in the experimental design.
Point 6: Random assignment: Students should explain how participants could be randomly assigned to either the experimental condition or the control condition (the conditions should differ based on the independent variable: video game playing).