Psych 100 - Unit 1 - Research Methods

Empirical

grounded in objective, tengible evidence, observed time again, regardless who

Positivism

knowledge must be based on what can be perceived (5 Senses)

Post - Positivism

not based on irrefutable observable grounds, somewhat speculative, provide relatively solid grounds for these speculations

Constructivism

researches job to understand multiple constructions of meaning & knowledge, using multiple sources; participants construct reality with the researcher

Systematic

Steps

Skeptical

You want to know a bit more

Ethical

Making things Well

Theory

well-developed set of ideas that propose an explanation for observed phenomena. The way we think the world works.

Attachment Theory

Primary caregivers bonding to infants allow child to develop a sense or security. Biological and physiological response.

Inductive

Observation → Generalization → Theory

Deductive

Theory → Predictions → Experiment

Research Methods

Way of testing a hypothesis or exploring a research question

ExPLANatory Research

knowing enough you can explain it

ExPLORatory Research

looking for information, don’t know enough

Reliability

all methods should be reliable, always there similar result each time you do it

Validity

all methods should be valid, measure what it is intended to measure, no extraneous results

Question vs. Hypothesis

Just a question vs. prediction or statement

*OPERATIONAL DEFINITION*

description of a property in concrete terms (What you are measuring)

Falsifiability

Can either confirm or deny “not confirm” if a hypothesis is correct

Experiment

carefully regulated procedure, one or more factors believed to influence the behavior being studied are manipulated and all other factors are held constant.

Hallmarks of an Experiment

Random Assignment, Control Group, Manipulation of Independent variable

Random Assignment

assigned to different experimental and control groups on the bases of chance and chance alone

Between Participants Design

me and you, different but equal, 2 or more groups

Within Groups Design

all participants are exposed to the experiment design, repeated measures design, 1 group *counterbalancing

Single Blind

One of the groups are aware (experimentor)

Double Blind

Participants AND researchers are not aware

Experimenter effects/bias

research expectations skew the results of study

Correlation vs. Causation studies

strength + direction, closer to 0=weak, closer to (- or +) 1=stronger

CORRELATION

DOES NOT EQUAL CAUSATION

Illusory Correlation

seeing relationships between two things that don’t actually have correlation

Research Misconduct

Conflicts of Intrest

Skeptical

• suspending judgment 

• backed by INSUFFICIENT evidence or by data that has been improperly collected, are not relevant

Ethics

IRB (Institutional Review Board)

• Protect research subjects, investigators, & institution

Respect for Persons

• get a choice of participating or not provided sufficient info

• has mental competence to make choice

• 2 consents for under 18

• must be free to end participation w/out consequences

• INFORMED CONSENT

Beneficence

• Minimizing Risk of harm & maximizing possible benefits

• sensitive research

• deception

Justice

• Distributing Benefits & Burden on Research

• Equitably Distributed

• No individual is exposed to risk or harm