Scientific Research Introduction Experimental research Scientific method Experimental design Extraneous variables Limitations Correlational Research Correlation Examples Limitations o Casual conclusions o Third variable prob Experimental research Strongest type of research to conduct Correlational research Conclusions are not as strong Case study o Used often in psychology o Very problematic as sources of evidence o It is a sample of one statistically this is useless o Possible variables correlations in persons life emotions of person Surveys o Used to gather information on people o Often used in psyc for sexual inquiries o Surveys done properly can be very useful Correlational research can not yield casual conclusions only that two variables are associated in some way o 1 perfectly positive correlation o 1 perfectly negative correlation o 6 is just as powerful as 6 o 0 correlation equals no correlation whatsoever ex Negative correlation eating icecream is associated with wearing less clothing problems with correlation o strength of correlation is equal in both directions ex just as much evidence that being young and black is related to being in jail as being in jail is related to being young and black o third variable problem causal factor theres another variable causing the variables we are looking at to change ex temperature affects the amount of icecream and amount of clothes being worn must always ask the question is there something else involved here with these variables Biopsychology Overview Hardware and software Domains of interest o bases for normal and abnormal function the synapse neurotransmitters examples o mapping brain function neuroimaging techniques CAT MRI EEG PET fMRI Laterialization Neuroimaging techniques We can now examine intact the functioning operating human brain without opening the heard up CAT scan o Allows for a very exact precise picture of the brain inside the head o Both CAT and MRI good to show function MRI EEG PET fMRI o Yields a very detailed picture of the internal body without having to open up o Both MRI s and CAT scans are useful for seeing how everything is connected and details also to see damage such as damage in the brain Can determine amount of damage and location In pychology can show if a group of people have a psychological problem is there something wrong with their brain o Determines location of electrical activation and signal given by activation o The brain like muscles burns glucose for fuel so when there is activity in the brain it is burning more glucose neurons firing more rapidly o PET involves injecting a person with a radioactive form of glucose the glucose enters the bloodstream goes into the brain and is burned where the activity is taking place person required to think during process ex do math Allows to determine in the intact brain where the function is being carried out o Inorder to get reliable PET activity the person must do the mental activity over and over and over again because brain works so fast o provides precise structural data and combines both functional and visual techniques can see functions and processes
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