PSYC 100 1st Edition Lecture 4 Outline of Last Lecture I. What is Psychology?II. Some BIG Issues in PsychologyIII. Subfields and Perspectives in PsychologyOutline of Current Lecture I. Research Methods (Cont.)a. Correlational Researchb. ExperimentationII. Statistical significance in psychologyIII. Neuronsa. StructureCurrent LectureI. Research MethodsCORRELATIONAL RESEARCHWhat is it?-From knowing X, can we predict Y?When to use it?-When you want to understand relationships between two things and be able to predict behaviorsPoints to keep in mind:-Goal: Does an association exists between X and Y?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.-Do not manipulate anything just measure it.Types of Correlations:1. Positive Correlation:- When X goes up then Y goes up.Ex. – The more extraverted someone is, the more parties they will attend.2. Negative Correlation:- When one variable rises the other falls.Ex. - The more you drink the night before an exam, the lower your exam score will be.3. No Correlation:- No relationship between two variablesEx. – The number of red sweaters someone has in their closet has no impact on their GPA.Strength:-You can examine factors like race, sex, and ageWeaknesses:1. Correlation DOES NOT prove Causationa. Watching Violent TV <- - -> Aggression in kids2. Third variable problem.a. The more ice cream consumed in a month, the more murders occur.i. Ice cream -> Murder??ii. Heat leads to ice cream eating and murderiii. Parental neglect leads to watching violent television and aggressive kidsEXPERIMENTAL RESEARCHWhat is it?-Is variable X a cause of variable Y? You manipulate some event or variable so that people experience it one way or another way and look to see if differences in behavior occur.When to use it?-Is variable X a cause of variable Y?Key terms:Independent Variable (IV)Ex.- Study timeDependent Variable (DV)Ex. - Performance on testControlEx. - Level of intelligenceRandom AssignmentEx.- Each person has to have equal chance of getting 2, 4, or 6 hours of study time.Strengths:-Can determine cause and effect-Gain control over the situationWeaknesses:-Lacks external validityII. STATISTICS• Mode -Most often reported score• Mean -Average score• Median -Middle scoreOthers:• Range -From lowest to highest score• Statistical significance - Statistics have determined that the two groups you are looking at are different from one anotherIII. Neurons and Neural Communication• Dendrite - the ‘in-box’ a. Sensory structures (like taste buds)b. Sends signals to other neurons• Cell body - basic cell functions -Metabolizes things • Axon - the ‘out-box’ (axon-away); it send signals to:a. Other neuronsb. Effector cells• Myelin Sheath – A fatty substance that encases the axons of some cells-Increases the speed of transmission• Axon Terminal Vesicles -Stores and eventually releases enzymes called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters are released into .. • Synapse -A small space between the axons of one cell and the dendrites of the next cell• Receptor Sites -Locations on the dendrite of the next neuron; neurotransmitters bind to receptor sites and the whole process begins
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