Chapter 1 Psychology Is a Way of Thinking 1 Explain what the consumer of research and producer of research roles have in common and describe how they differ Consumer of Research Producer of Research Need to be able to find read and evaluate the research behind important policies therapies and workplace decisions Need to be able to develop research method skills to work in research laboratories and discover new knowledge 2 What kinds of jobs would use consumer of research skills What kinds of jobs would use Producer of research skills Consumer of Research Family therapists Teachers Entrepreneurs Guidance counselors Police officers Producer of Research Studying brain anatomy Observing the behavior of pigeons or monkeys Administering personality questionnaires Observing children in a school setting Analyzing data theory when the data do support the theory s hypothesis not support hypothesis Data does The data will challenge the theory Indicates that the theory needs to be revised Data does support the hypothesis 3 What happens to a theory when the data do not support the theory s hypotheses What happens to a The data may support the theory and strengthen the researcher s confidence in the theory 4 Explain the difference between basic research and applied research and describe how the two interact Basic Research Is not intended to address a specific practical problem the goal is to enhance the general body of knowledge Researchers might want to understand the structure of the visual system the capacity of the human memory the motivations of a depressed person or the limitations of the infant attachment system Do not just gather facts at random Applied Research Done with a practical problem in mind the researchers hope their findings will be directly applied to the solution of that problem in a particular real world context Study may ask for example if a school s district s new method of teaching mathematics is working better than the former one It might test the efficacy of treatment for depression in a sample of trauma survivors Might be looking for better ways to identify those who are likely to do well at a particular job Interaction Can use empirical evidence to answer a nonprofit organization s questions Solid basic research is an important basis for later applied research 5 After an initial study what are some of the further questions scientists might ask in their research Why does this occur When does this happen most What are the limits For whom does this apply 6 What are the benefits when scientists publish their data By reading about psychological research in the newspaper the general public can learn what psychologists really do Those who read or hear the story might also pick up important tips for living 7 What are two ways that journalists might distort the science they attempt to publicize Create dramatic stories about employment statistics that show for example a 0 9 increase in unemployment claims May conclude that these small increases show an upward trend when they may simply reflect a sampling error
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