1.1 Research in Psychology

Psychology

scientific study of behavior and mental processes

behavior vs. mental processes

behavior is observable, external

mental processes are not observable, internal

4 Goals of Psychology

Description – describe behaviors by observations

Explanation – explain behaviors

Prediction – predict when a behavior will happen

Change – change inappropriate behavior

Empirical Evidence

info gathered through observation or experimentation

Falsifiability

can be proven wrong

Replication

reproducing a study to see if you get the same results

Clever Hans Effect

an animal/person senses what someone wants them to do, even though they are not deliberately being given signals

aka observer-expectancy effect

artifacts

the study results that were caused/changed by an accidental factor

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to see things that confirm what one already believe and ignore things that challenge it

ex. only remembering when your horoscope was right and forgetting times it was wrong

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after learning the outcome, that you knew it all along

ex. saying you knew a team would win after the game

Overconfidence

We tend to think we know more than we do.

82% of U.S. drivers consider themselves to be in the top 30% of their group in terms of safety.

Quantitative Research

uses numbers

approach is nomothetic

has variables

uses experiments, measurements

+ generalizable

-narrow

Nomothetic Approach

meant to find universal laws

Experimental Studies

independent and dependent variables (2 total)

cause and effect inferences

quantitative

Independent Variable

the variable manipulated by the researcher

Dependent Variable

the variable expected to change due to the independent variable

Cause and Effect Inferences

determining if an association really has a cause-and-effect relationship

if DV changes when the IV is changed

Correlational Studies

2 variables that aren’t manipulated (no IV / DV)

connection between variables exists

no cause and effect variables because unknown directionality or confounding variables

quantitative

positive correlation

when one variable increases so does the other

ex. shoe size goes up as hight does

negative correlation

when one variable increases the other decreases

ex. The lower the temp the more layers you wear

no correlation

no clear connection between variables

directionality

which variable had the impact on the other

confounding variables

unpredicted variable is changing the DV instead of the IV

Descriptive Studies

2+ variables

observe variables separately

basically compiling data

Qualitative Research

involves texts

approach is ideographic

no variables

methods: interview, observations, case studies

+more depth

-not generalizable

Idiographic Approach

meant to learn about an individual or specific group

Case Study

in depth investigation of an individual or specific group

Sample

the group taking part in a research study

Sampling

process of finding and recruiting individuals for a study

credibility

degree the results can be trusted to reflect reality

bias

causes results of study to not reflect reality

generalizability

extent results can be applied beyond the sample and its setting

construst

mental process

can’t be directly observed

operationalization

expressing a construct in observable terms

measurable behavior