PSYCH 100 9 8 15 Introduction What is Psychology Scope what questions do psychologists ask Population what organisms do we study Method of inquiry how do we study it Population humans and animals We use animals because of ethical reasons and because they have simpler systems Methods observation surveys correlation experiments Big Issues in Psych Conscious vs unconscious Mean to say gosh you look great but actually say gosh you look fat Free will vs determinism Can you choose to get out of a depressive state Individual differences vs universals Men prefer younger women women prefer older men Nature vs Nurture Is IQ hereditary How does the brain biology effect behavior Perspectives in Psych Neuroscience Evolutionary Behavior Genetics Psychodynamic Behavioral Cognitive Socio cultural How does behavior mental processes promote survival How much do genes vs environment affect who we are How do unconscious conflicts drives determine behavior How do our experiences and environment affect behavior How does information processing affect thoughts behavior How do behavior thinking vary across situations cultures 9 10 15 Research Methods The need for psychological science Problems with common sense Research methods in psych The scientific method Descriptive research Correlational research Experimentation Isn t psychology just common sense The Need for Psychological Science Limits of common sense Overconfidence do Examples Def people tend to be more confident than correct we think we know more than we heavier than air flying machines are impossible 1895 there is no reason for anyone to have a computer in their home 1977 a severe depression like that of 1920 21 is outside the range of probability 1929 nuclear power vacuum cleaners will be a reality in 10 years 1955 man will never reach the moon regardless of all scientific advances 1957 Hindsight Bias Example research suggests that people with high self esteem are more susceptible to flattery than those with low self esteem Why do you suppose this is Does this strike you as surprising or not surprising Someone with high self esteem more likely to believe it s true More confident Low self esteem might think they re lying don t believe those things are true Not true those with low self esteem are actually more susceptible to flattery We generate real life examples to support that finding and think that a false finding is not surprising Def after you know the outcome of an event you tend to believe that you would have predicted it Gets in the way of us being able to use common sense in psychology Birds of a feather flock together vs opposites attract Birds People enjoy being with those who are similar love to hear their own ideas like to be with people who have similar qualities to ourselves Opposites less of a competition balance each other out good to have someone to counter your ideas Research Methods in Psychology The Scientific Method Research begins with a hunch or hypothesis Where do hypotheses come from Dissatisfaction with other s theories New questions about research Personal Observation and curiosity You have to test your hypothesis is it true RESEARCH Ex The simpsons clip The hypothesis for Lisa Simpson Is Bart smarter than a hamster The test experiment compare Bart and hamster on exercises A summary of research methods Descriptive description what is the nature of the phenomenon Correlational prediction from knowing X can we predict Y Experimental causality is variable X a cause of variable Y Descriptive Research What is the nature of the behavior Case Study What is it examine one person in depth to understand human nature in general Phinneas Gage railroad worker explosion occurred and caused a pipe to go through his head He survived but obliterated part of his prefrontal cortex Before was a happy go lucky guy but afterwards his personality was altered and he was very aggressive Helped us study the role of that part of the brain in personality Limits to Case Studies Atypicality what if the person you are studying isn t average Limited generalizability if not typical cannot generalize to the population based What is it researcher observes people and systematically records measurements of on a case study Observational Research their behavior Two Types Unobtrusive Observation observe without interfering record behaviors and make judgement based on observations Researcher does not get involved at all in the study Participant Observation when you are involved in the study and cannot simply observe Ex cult who believed the world was going to end researchers joined the Lack of generalizability population being observed may be atypical cannot cult to get a sense of what was going on Limits to Observational Method generalize to a different population Some behaviors are difficult to observe Rare behaviors like murder Behaviors that occur in private like sex Survey Research What is it using questionnaires to ask lots of people to report their behavior Strength Can sample a selection of the population to reflect a whole population trend Limits Unrepresentative Sample Ex group tried to predict upcoming election via poll called every 20th person in the phone book to ask who they would vote for Results were that Landon would win by a landslide but FDR actually won by a landslide The problem was that very few people had phone lines so the research group only hit about 15 of the population mostly the rich Random Sampling every person in the population has an equal chance of being in a study Order of Questions 1 Do you usually give money to a beggar on the street 2 Do you consider yourself a person who helps the less fortunate These questions were given in 2 different orders When 1 was first 20 said yes to question 1 and 40 yes to question 2 When 2 was first much more people replied yes 90 to it and 40 said yes to question 1 Question Wording Ex Is the Mississippi River shorter or longer than miles How long do you think the river is 3000 miles most people guess around 2641 miles 500 miles most guess 1759 miles Correlational Research What is it from knowing x can we predict y When to use it When you want to understand relationships between 2 things and be able to predict behaviors Goal does an association exist between x and y DO NO MANIPULATE anything just measure it Positive correlation two variables rise and fall together Ex more outgoing more parties attended Negative Correlation when one variable rises the other falls Ex the more you drink before
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