Chapter 2 Methods in Psychology Methods of psychology meant to answer o What do people do o Why do they do it Empiricism How to Know Stuff Dogmatists thought best way to understand illness was to develop theories about body s functions Empiricists thought best way to understand illness was to observe theses Empiricism the belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation Scientific Method a procedure for finding truth by using empirical evidence Theory hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomenon Rule of Parsimony simplest explanation is generally the best one Hypothesis falsifiable prediction made by a theory Empirical method set of rules and techniques for observation o People have 3 qualities that make them hard to study 1 Complexity 2 Variability 3 Reactivity Observation Discovering What People Do Observe use one s sense to learn about properties of another object Operational Definition description of a property in concrete measureable terms Instrument anything that can detect the condition to which an operation definition refers Validity the goodness with which a concrete event defines a property Reliability the tendency for an instrument to produce the same measurement whenever used to measure the same thing Power instrument s ability to detect small magnitudes Demand characteristics aspects of an observational setting that cause people to behave as they think someone else wants or expects Naturalistic observation technique for gathering scientific information by unobtrusively observing people in their natural environments Double blind observation observation whose true purpose in hidden from both the observer and the person being observed Frequency distribution graphic representation of measurements arranged by the number of times each measurement was made Normal Distribution mathematically defined distribution in which the frequency of measurements is highest in the middle and decreases symmetrically in both directions Descriptive Statistics brief summary statements that capture the essential info from a frequency distribution Central Tendency value of measurements that tend to lie near the center o Mode mean median Variability how much the data varies o Range standard deviation 2 variables are correlated only because each is causally Explanation Discovering Why People Do What They Do Variables properties whose values can vary across individuals or over time Correlation when variations in the value of 1 variable are synchronized with variations in the value of the other Correlation coefficient mathematical measure of the direction and strength of a correlation Natural correlations correlations observed in the world around us 3 rd variable correlation related to a 3rd variable Matched samples technique technique whereby participants in 2 groups are identical in terms of a 3rd variable Experiment technique for establishing the causal relationship between variables Manipulation changing a variable in order to determine its causal power Independent variable variable that is manipulated Experimental group group of people who are exposed to a particular manipulation Control group group of people not exposed to manipulation Dependent variable variable that is measured Self selection problem that occurs when anything about a person determines whether they are in the experimental or control group Random assignment procedure that lets chance assign people to experimental or control group Statistically significant 5 chance that a result would happen if random assignment failed Internal validity attribute of an experiment that allows it to establish causal relationships External validity attribute of an experiment in which the variables have been defined in a normal typical or realistic way Population complete collection of people Sample partial collection of people drawn from population Case method procedure for gathering scientific info by studying a single individual Random sampling technique for choosing participants that ensures every member of a population has an equal chance at being selected The Ethics of Science First Do No Harm Nuremburg Code of 1947 Declaration of Helsinki Tuskegee experiment treatment so researchers could observe the progression of the disease 3 basic principles for human research 399 African American men with syphilis were denied Belmont report 1 Respect for persons 2 Beneficiency 3 Just no influence or coercion maximize benefits reduce risks distribute benefits and risks equally APA s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct o Informed consent written agreement to participate in a study made by an adult who has been informed of participation risks o Freedom from coercion o Protection from Harm o Risk Benefit analysis psychologist must use safer method or no study participants can t even be asked to accept large risks and for small risks psychologist must prove benefits outweigh risks study if deceived only used when justifiable and not related to pain verbal description of true nature and purpose of the o Deception o Debriefing o Confidentiality Rules regarding animals o Reasonable efforts to minimize discomfort and pain o Only subject to pain stress or privation when there are no other alternatives and it is justifiable o Surgical procedures must be done under anesthesia and minimize the animal s pain o Supervised by psychologist Honors system o Report truthfully on what they did and found o Share credit fairly o Obligated to share data
View Full Document
Unlocking...