1. Experimental Psychology and the Scientific Method

Psychology is the scientific study of
human behavior and mental processes.

What is the definition of Psychology?

Science

a systematized body of knowledge

Scientia which means “knowledge”

Science originated from the word _ which means what?

Science

It is based on facts that is focused on facts learned through experiments and observations.

Content and Process

Science is composed of these two

Psychological Science

Process of conducting psychological research through the use of scientific method.

Commonsense Psychology

Non scientific data gathering that shapes our expectation and beliefs and directs our behavior toward others

Folk psychology or pop psychology

other term for commonsense psychology

Commonsense Psychology

Intuitive beliefs about people’s behavior, thoughts and feelings.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to gather evidence that confirms preexisting expectations, typically by emphasizing or pursuing supporting evidence while claiming or failing to seek contradictory evidence.

Stereotypes

Generalized beliefs about the characteristics that are associated with the members of a social group.

Gambler’s fallacy

When one believes that random happenings are more or less likely to occur because of the frequency with which they have occurred in the past.

Overconfidence Bias

Our predictions, guesses, and explanations tend to feel much more correct than they actually are, and the more data we have available, the more confidence we have in our judgment about behavior.

Scientific Method

Principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypothesis.

Determinism

Psychologists have shared beliefs that there are specifiable causes for the way people behave and that these causes can be discovered through research.

Empirical Data

data that are observable and experienced. These can be verified or disprove through investigation.

Law

a statement that describes an observable occurrence in nature that appears to always be true

Theory

a set of general principles that attempts to explain and predict behavior or other phenomena.

Good thinking

Collection and interpretation of data should be done in a systematic, objective, rational way

Principle of Parsimony

Choosing the simplest scientific explanation that fits the evidence

Self- Correction

Content of science changes as we acquire new scientific information, and old information is reevaluated in light of new facts.

Publicizing Results

Professional and special interest groups attend professional conferences to exchange information about their current work.

Replication

The process of repeating research procedures to verify that the outcome will be the same as before. This is a principle tool of the scientific method.

Description, Prediction, Explanation, Control

Objectives of Psychological Science

Description

Refers to procedure researchers use to define, classify, catalogue, categorize events and their relationships.
Case studies and field studies

Prediction

The capacity for knowing in advance when certain behaviors would be expected to occur.

Correlational and quasi-experimental

Prediction can be achieved using these research designs

Explanation

Refers to the capacity to explain an event, phenomena, or behavior as well as understanding what causes it to occur.

Experimental research design

Explanation can be achieved using this research design

Control

Refers to the application of what has been explained through experimentation

Applied and Basic Research

Types of Research

Applied Research

designed to solve real world problems. (e.g. helping clients to deal with addiction)

Basic Research

designed to test theories or to explain psychological phenomena in humans and animals. (e.g. correlational)

Observation, Measurement, Experimentation

BASIC TOOLS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Observation

The systematic noting and recording of events.

Overt Observation

This type of observation is where the participants are aware that they are being studied.

Covert Observation

In this method, the researcher's identity and purpose are concealed from the participants. Participants are unaware they are being observed and this reduces demand characteristics; participants act naturally.

Naturalistic Observation

This involves observing behavior in a natural setting without attempting to manipulate or control the environment.

Controlled Observation

Type of observation that involves setting up a specific situation and observing what happens, allowing for greater control and comparison of different conditions or groups.

Measurement

The systematic estimation of the quantity, size, or quality of an observable event.

Experimentation

The process undertaken to test a hypothesis that particular behavioral events will occur reliably in certain specifiable conditions.

• procedures for manipulating the setting,

• predicted outcome is observable, and

• outcome can be measured.

• additional - subjects should be randomized

Three minimum requirements for an experiment

Experimental Psychology

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.

Antecedents

All circumstances that occur or exist before the event or behavior to be explained

Antecedent conditions

Also called Independent Variables

Treatments

A specific sets of antecedent conditions

Cause-and–effect-relationship

A relationship between two phenomena in which one phenomenon is the reason behind the other.

• Temporal relationship

• Spatial relationship

• Logical relationship

Types of Cause-and-Effect relationship

Temporal relationship

the type of relationship that we establish through
experimentation because of the time difference that occurs in the relationship.

Spatial relationships

the type of relationship that describes the physical locations of objects relative to each other. Examples include "above," "below," and "inside," which represent physical locations

Logical relationships

the type of relationship that refers to the connections between statements or events based on reasoning and inference