Chapter 1: Experimental Psychology and the Scientific Method

Psychology

It is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Scientific methodology and techniques

Psychology relies on _____ in gathering data and analyzing behaviors

Surveys, therapy sessions, laboratory experimentations

Scientific methodology and techniques vary froms

Psychological science

Research about the psychological processes underlying behavior is known as

Latin

The word science comes from the ___ word scientia, which simply means knowledge.

1800s.

Psychology is a relatively young discipline, emerging in the late ____

Philosophy

Psychology started as part of

Wilhelm Wundt

Psychology officially became its own field of study when the early psychologist founded the first psychology laboratory in 1879

Experimental Psychology

It is the scientific study of behavior, motives, or cognition in a laboratory or other controlled setting in order to predict, explain, or influence behavior or other psychological phenomena

Commonsense psychology/ Folk wisdom

• Nonscientific data gathering that shapes our expectations and beliefs and directs our behavior toward others has been called

• Uses nonscientific sources and inferences

Scientific method

It is an organized way of using experience and testing ideas in an effort to expand and refine knowledge.

• Formulate the research problem

• Construct hypothesis and an appropriate set of instruments is developed.

• The data are collected.

• The data are analyzed for their bearing on the initial hypothesis.

• Results of the analysis are interpreted and communicated.

Methodology

scientific techniques used to collect and evaluate data

Gathered from small samples of behavior

Might be biased

Generally unreliable

Limitations of commonsense

Confirmation bias

Once we believe we know something, we tend to overlook instances that might disconfirm our beliefs, and we seek, instead confirmatory instances of behavior

Scientific Mentality

• It assumes that behavior must follow a natural order; therefore it can be predicted.

• This assumption is essential to science. There is no point to using the scientific method to gather and analyze data if there is no implicit order.

Empirical data

Data that are observable or experienced. It can be verified or disproved through investigation

Law

It consists of statements generally expressed as equations with few variables that have overwhelming empirical support.

Theory

It is a set of related statements used to explain and predict phenomena. They are pull together or unify diverse sets of scientific facts into an organizing theme.

Good Thinking

Collecting and interpreting data systematically and objectively with no personal biases or beliefs; includes being open to new ideas even when they contradict prior beliefs

Occam’s razor

entities should not be multiplied unless necessary; if two explanations are equally believable, the simpler one is preferred

Principle of parsimony

prefer the simplest useful explanation

Weight-of-evidence approach

The more evidence that accumulates to support a particular explanation or theory, the more confidence we have that the theory is correct.

Falsification

Theories are best tested through attempts at ____, not verification

Describe, Predict, Explain & Control

Objectives of Psychological Science

Pure Research or Basic Research

It is designed to increase the amount of scientific knowledge on a topic or particular field

Applied Research

It is designed to solve real-world problems conditions on behavior and changing behavior

Observation

Systematic noting and recording of events. This system should be used consistently in any given research. Within the scientific framework, they must be systematic and objective

Measurement

The assignment of numerical values to observed objects or events according to conventional rules. The same unit of measurement, same instruments and procedures each time the event is observed must be used.

Experimentation

• It is a process undertaken to test a hypothesis that particular behavioral events will occur reliably in certain, specifiable situations.

• Systematically manipulate aspects of a setting to verify our predictions about observable behavior under specific conditions

• Our predictions must be testable.

Hypothesis

Undertaken to test a testable prediction/ an educated guess

Psychology experiment

It is a controlled procedure in which at least two different treatment conditions are applied to subjects

Treatments

manipulated specific sets of antecedent conditions. They are exposed to different ___- to compare the effects of varying antecedents.

Experimental Group

the group being treated, or otherwise manipulated (IV)

Controlled group

the group that receive no treatment and are used as a comparison group.

Between-subjects design

An experimental design in which subjects receive only one kind of treatment

Within-subjects design

Present all treatments to each subject and measure the effect of each treatment after it is presented

Control

This is most achieved by

• random assignment of subjects

• presenting a treatment condition in an identical manner to all subjects

• keeping the environment, the procedures, and the measuring instruments constant

Pseudoscience

It is any field of study that gives the appearance of being scientific but has no true scientific basis and has not been confirmed using the scientific method. (Phrenology, Physiognomy, Astrology)