PSYC110-Module 1

What is the scientific method?

• A systematic study (fixed organised)

• Via observation and experimentations (empirical, can be used as evidence)

Is psychology a science?

• Yes, it is a science because it follows the scientific method

• We do these things to human behaviour and process

  • Describe

  • Explain

  • Predict

What are 5 key principles of psychological science?

• 1. Empiricism

• 2. Scepticism

• 3. Tentativeness

• 4. Openness

• 5. Anti-authoritarianism

What is empiricism

What is scepticism?

• Evidence needs to be checked and questioned

What is tentativeness?

• Evidence can change

What is openess?

• Scientific research is available to the community

What is anti-authoritarianism?

• Theory not accepted on faith alone

• Make sure theory is based on scientific evidence

What is the cycle of science?

• Theory or observation

• Prediction/hypothesis

• Research design

• Data description and analysis

• Lead to report writing

What is theory and observation?

• A step in the cycle of science

• We have a theory or observe something that we want to explore further and understand further

• Eg. music will benefit development

What is prediction/hypothesis?

• A step in the cycle of science

• Make a predication about the relationship between variables in theory/observation

• E.g.. The more hours listen to music will increase IQ as shown on higher scores on IQ test

What is falsifiability?

• The idea that a theory or hypothesis should have the potential to be proven wrong

• Evidence can prove a hypothesis wrong

What is research design?

• A step in the cycle of science

• Deciding how and when we will manipulate the variables

• We use different research designs

  • Descriptive

  • Quantitative

  • Survey

What is data- description and analysis

• A step in the scientific cycle

• Collect data, organise and describe it

• Two types of stats

  • Descriptive

    • Organise

    • Summaries

  • Inferential

    • Make inferential statistics

What is report writing?

• A step in the scientific cycle

• Sharing findings with the rest of the world

What are the types of research design?

• There are three

  • Quantitative research

  • Qualitative research

  • Mixed methods research

What is quantitative research?

• Numbers are assigned to variables

• Findings, observations and what is found are numerical

• Deductive

What is qualitative research?

• Data are words

• Evidence, results that are collected are descriptive, characteristics

• Uses inductive reasoning (specific to general)

• Provides deeper understanding, and very descriptive

• Advantage

  • Provide in depth description and understanding

• Disadvantaged

  • Time- takes a lot of time

  • Subjectivity

  • Hard to generalise to greater population

  • Reflexivity- monitoring personal bias

What are the 6 characteristics of qualitative research?

• There are multiple sources (different places- schools, uni, library)

• Mainly uses inductive but can also use deductive

• Natural setting

• Emergent design- design can change once data collection begins

• Participants meaning

• Research is a key instrument

What is the epistemological background of qualitative research?

• Epistemology refers to the theory of knowledge, how we know things

• In qualitative research there are two types

  • Phenomenology: knowledge based on person’s perceptions and experiences

  • Social constructionism: knowledge that reality is based on social factors

What is mixed methods research?

• Combines quantitative and qualitative methods in the same study

What are the different types of quantitative research?

• Descriptive

• Correlational research

• Experimental research

What is descriptive research?

• A type of quantitative research

• Describe something that is happening

What is correlational research?

• Looking at the variables as they occur naturally

  • Not actively manipulating variables

• There are different types of relationships variables can have

  • Positive: changes in the IV are met with the same directional change in the DV (bottom left to top right)

  • Negative: Changes in the IV are met with the opposite direction change in the DV (top left, bottom right)

  • No relationship: No directional change

• Correlation studies show the relatedness and relationship between variables

What are the four alternative relationships between variables in correlation research?

• A causes B

• B causes A

• There could be a third variable (C) that causes the relationship between A-B, makes it look like A B are related, which they are, but they are RELATED BECAUSE OF THE THIRD variable- known as the third variable problem

• Relationship is known by chance

• To know which out of the four relationships the variables have, you need experimental research

What is experimental research?

• Establishes cause and effect relationship- causality

• There needs to be selection or manipulation of variables

• There also needs to be control of other variables

• Advantages

  • Establishes a cause and effect relationship

  • A lot of internal validity

• Disadvantages

  • Not the best external validity

  • Not always possible to manipulate variables - hard to control or manipulate the amount people smoke - in that case we use quasi-experimental research

How do we control variables?

• Keep constant

  • Make sure characteristics are the same

  • However very time consuming

• Randomise

  • Ensures extraneous variables that may have an impact have an equal chance of being in both group (group exposed to IV and group not)

What are extraneous variables

• Variables that have the POTENTIAL to impact what is being measured

• Hard to distinguish if the IV or extraneous variable causes the changes in the DV

What is the process of quantitative research?

• 1. Define the question

• 2. Design a method

What is variable?

• Characteristics or condition that changes or has different values

• It varies

• There are relationships between variables

What are the types of variables?

• Independent variable

• Dependent variable

What is the independent variable?

• Have the potential cause in the relationship

• Independent on other variables

• Can be selected or manipulated

• What changes or is the focus

What is the dependent variable

• What is being measured

• What changes potentially due to the independent variable

What are the different types of experimental designs?

• Repeated measure (within subject)

• Independent groups (between)

• Match subject designs

What is repeated measure design?

• A type of experimental research design

• The SAME group of PARTICIPANTS is administered different “levels“ or conditions of IV at different types

• Same participants in experimental group and control group

• Advantage

  • Eliminates or minimises participant differences between the two groups

• Disadvantage

  • Order effects - overcome through counterbalance (person 1 experience A then B, person 2 experience B and then A )

What are independent group design?

• A type of experimental research design

• Different groups of participants are administered differ levels or conditions of the IV

• Different participants in the experimental and control groups

• Advantage

  • No order effect

• Disadvantage

  • More resources needed - more participants

  • More random variability between the two groups

What are matched research design?

• A type of experimental research design

• Participants are matched on important variables or characteristics

• Participants in both control and experimental groups have similar characteristics and chosen based on those shared characteristics

• Advantage

  • No order effect

  • Reduced differences between participants

• Disadvantage

  • Needs a lot of resources