Psyc 100 1st Edition Lecture 3 Outline of Last Lecture I. What is Psychology?II. Some BIG Issues in PsychologyIII. Subfields and Perspectives in PsychologyOutline of Current Lecture I. The need for psychological scienceII. Research Methods in Psychologya. The scientific methodb. Descriptive researchCurrent LectureThe Need for Psychological Science(Limits of common sense)1. Overconfidence-People tend to be more confident than correct: We think we know more than we really do know.2. Hindsight bias: After you know the outcome of an event you tend to believe you would have predicted it. (“I knew it all along…”)-People with high self-esteem expect compliments and are flattered easily rather than someone with low self-esteem who probably won’t believe the compliments.Surprise Findings:False: Research suggests people with high self-esteem are more susceptible to flattery than those with low self-esteem.True: Research suggests that people with low self-esteem are more susceptible to flattery than those with high self-esteem.These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Research MethodsResearch begins with a hunch or hypothesisWhere do hypotheses come from?-Your Theories- Dissatisfaction with other’s theoriesEx. - Harvard University President statement causes dissatisfaction from female scientists and mathematicians. - New questions about researchEx. – Studying while drunk will cause state dependent memory.- Personal ObservationEx. – Observing from a distance without disturbing the group of interest.Descriptive ResearchDescriptive – Description - What is the nature of the phenomenon?When to use it?-What is the nature of the behavior?1. Case StudyWhat is it? -Examine one person in depth to understand human nature in general.Ex. – Phinneas Gage: Pole through frontal lobe, everything in fact except personality was completely different.Limits to Case Studies:-Atypically: Subject may be atypical-Lack of generalizability: Subject cannot be generalized to entire public.2. Observational ResearchWhat is it?-Researcher observes people and systematically records measurements of their behavior.Two types:-Unobtrusive observation: Study or research conducted without intrusion-Participant observation: Becoming a part of the group you are studying.Limits to the Observational Method:-Lack of generalizability: Different environments may influence behavior.-Some behaviors are difficult to observe.3. Survey ResearchWhat is it?-Using questionnaires to ask lots of people to report their behavior.Strength:-Can sample a selection of population to reflect whole population trend.Limits to Survey Research1) Unrepresentative sample:Ex. - Gallop poll 1936 election was unrepresentative b/c only rich people had telephones and taking a survey through phone book numbers leaves out the rest of the population. Random sampling must be used in order to have a representative sample.2) Order of questions:Ex. - Do you usually give money to beggars: Yes 20% NoDo you consider yourself a person who helps the less fortunate? Yes 40% NoSwitch order:Yes 90%Yes 40%3) Question wording: Ex. - How long do you think the Mississippi River is? 2380Is the Mississippi River larger or shorter than 3000 miles?
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