Psychology 105 January 14 2013 Decartes s mind body dualism The mind and the body are separate entities Eastern Philosophy Modern psychology is moving away from dualism and toward interdependence Evolution a breeding species Natural Selection because it has an impact on reproduction Adaptations Culture influences our genes Gradual not random the change over time in the frequency with which specific genes occur within a feedback process whereby nature favors one design over another Natural Selection Chapter 2 Conducting research in psychology is about testing intuitive assumptions regarding how the world works Based on Relies on more than common sense and logic these can be a foundation but without Monty Hall Problem do not rely just on common sense and the probability can be Topics The nature of science Research methods in psychology Statistics Research ethics Science observations Requires open mindedness testing this knowledge is incomplete smaller Limits of observation senses are far from perfect Psychophysics Gestalt Problem of Generalizability the next Scientific Thinking theories Question Authority Remain Skeptical Be Intellectually Honest Scientific Method Five Basic Processes O P T I C Observation Prediction Hypothesis Test Experiment Interpretation Communication Replication Theory the procedure by which scientists conduct research a set of assumptions from which scientists can make testable predictions knowledge of the world comes from our five senses but these process using cognitive skills required to generate test and revise an observation of something on one day may be different claims presented as scientific that are not supported by evidence Pseudoscience obtained within the scientific method Lacks the cumulative progress seen in science Disregards real world observations and established facts results and contradicts what is already known Lacks internal skepticism Only vaguely explains how conclusions are reached Uses loose and distorted logic of extraversion introversion Population Sample validity GENERALIZE ABILITY a characteristic that changes or varies age gender weight intelligence level sunsets of the population that are actually studied do we have external plans of action for how to conduct scientific study the entire group a researcher is interested in Research design Variable H M Bystander Effect when many people are around and don t react to help a victim designs in which the research defines a problem and a variable of most studied patient They studied his brain after his death Epilepsy Had a Descriptive study a design in which a researcher observes one person over a long period of Descriptive Studies Descriptive design interest Lacks predictions hypotheses No manipulation or controlling of variables Limitations cannot look at cause and effect Diffusion of responsibility Kitty Jenny Case Study time Often a therapist Often concerns extraordinary individuals Not all cases are generalizable normal IQ and could remember things before the operation Couldn t hold on to new information The Hippocampus is responsible for learning new information He could remember motor skills but not facts Conclusion different memories are housed in different parts of the brain records behavior in the real world Researcher not involved in the observation Rosenhan 1973 wanted to see how stereotyping works Average time the patient connected with a doctor was 6 and half minutes No one visited the mental facilities Interview Surveys Questions are asked the same exact way to each respondent Limitations May not have a representative sample a study in which the researcher unobtrusively observes and Naturalistic observation involves asking people what they think or feel or how they behave Notes January 18 2013 Assignment 1 due Friday 25 th john charleson email wsu edu TA Finishing up Chapter 2 a property that is manipulated by the experimenter under a statistic ranging from 1 to 1 that assesses the strength and studies that measure two or more variables and their relationship Correlational design to one another we want to describe the relationship Correlation does not equal causation Correlation coefficient direction of an association between two variables Experiment a research design that includes independent and dependent variables one variable is manipulated while another is measured with effects indicative of causation Participant is randomly assigned to control and experimental groups Benefits can infer cause Limitations results come from a highly controlled unnatural setting and are therefore less generalizable Independent variable IV controlled conditions to determine whether it causes the predicted outcome Confounding variable the IV conditions so that all participants have the same chance of being in any group Experimental group predicted to change behavior Control group a group of participants who are treated the exact same as those in the experimental group but are not subject to treatment or the independent variable may receive a placebo Single blind studies Double blind studies not know the participants group assignments studies in which participants do not know their group assignment studies in which both the participants and the experimenters do a group of participants who receive the treatment or whatever is a variable whose influence on the DV cannot be separated from the outcome or response to the experimental manipulation Dependent variable DV a method used to assign participants to different research Random assignment Chapter 2 3 January 23 2013 Measures Meta analysis Behavioral measures the tendency for people to provide a favorable self a measure of bodily responses used to determine changes written or oral accounts of a person s thoughts feelings or actions research technique for combining all of the research results on one the tools and techniques used to assess thought or behavior Three collection analysis interpretation and presentation of numerical data question and drawing a conclusion effect size measure of the strength of two variables categories Self report Behavioral Physiological Multiple measures may be used in one study Self reports interviews questionnaires Social desirability bias presentation that could lead to inaccurate self reports measures based on the systematic observation of people s actions requires trained coders who objectively evaluate and code the collected material in a reliable consistent manner Physiological measures in psychological