Research psychology

Gestalt Psychology

• Emphasizes understanding psychological phenomena as a whole that cannot be broken down into smaller parts.

• A whole is different than a sum of parts

• Some important quality is lost when the parts are considered alone

• no longer a sperate perspective

Cultural psychology

• Emphasizes that thoughts and behvaior are shaped by social and cultural context

• Cultures and Societes differ in terms of what behavior is acceptable and what roles people may assume.

In order to be scientfiic a science like psychologicy must be:

Systematic and Objective

The scientific method is used by all fields of science including

Psychology

Scientific method

A general set of procedures for gathering and interpreting informations that limits sources errors and yields dependable results.

Componets include;

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 literature review

2 research quetsion

3 hypothesis

4 Procedure / methods

5 results

6 discusion validaty and reliablity

7 conclusion

Hypotheisis

A tentative explanation for a set of facts or observations

It is a specific or educated guess

The more correct hypothesis the more you strengthen your theory

Theory

A group of principles and hypotheses that combined explain some Phenomenon

• generak principles that explain area of inquiry
• not absoulte truth

What are three ways or types of measurements that psychologists use to collect data?

Direct naturalistic and mediated

Direct observation

Observation with the naked eye

Can intervene with behavior if deemed necessary

Naturalistic observation

observation of naturally occurring behavior without changing the behavior

Mediated observation

Requires the use of special equipment or instrumentation IE EGG

Verbal reports

Survey or questionaires

Interviews

Psychological tests

-Asses an individual’s standing relative to others on some mental or behavioral characteristics

-IQ tests, social readjustment and Rating scale SRRS for stress

What are the four major types of research?

Historical, descriptive, correlational, experimental

Historical research

Use of previously published findings to study psychological issues.

Descriptive reasearch

Involves collecting data about conditions, attitudes, or characteristics of one subject or a group of subjects

Case study

An in depth investigation pf an individual

Cross sectional design

One group at one point in time

Longitudinal design

One group at multiple points in time

Come back after years to look at same group

Sequential design

Combination of cross sectional and longitudinal designs

Correlational research

Attempts to determine whether a relationship exists between two or more quantifiable or measurable variables

Mathematically defined by correlation coefficient ( r) which ranges from. -1.00 to+1.00

ABC CORRELATIONAL RESEARCH

A Degree of the relationship. ( strong weak or no relationship )

B direction of the relationship (positive negative no relationship)

C cannot establish cause and effect

Experimental research

Attempted ti define a cause and effect relationship through group comparisions

Independent variable

The cause or treatment

Dependent variable

Outcome being measured

Single blind desgin

Only the PARTICIPANTS are UNAWARE. Of the purpose lf the research

Double blind design

Both PARTICIPANTS and the RESEARCHERS assistanting the study are UNAWARE of the research conditions

Validity

The degree to which an instrument (equiment of test) measures what it is intended to measure

Reliability

Refers to consistency

InteRRater reliability

2 or more independent psychologists obtains ghe same resukt of diagnosis

IntraRater reliablity

1 psychologists consistently obtains the same result or diagnosis

4 main ethical safe guards

1 informed consent

2subjects can leave at anytime

3 debriefing must tell what happened

4response kept confidential

What is the function of the nervous system?

Enables us to exist and interact with our environment

2 main divisions of central system

Central and peripheral ( BRAIN SPINE CORD)

Somatic

Voluntary and under your control

Auto nomic

Not under your control and involuntary

Sympathetic

Heart rate up

Blood pressure up

Breathing up pupil dilates

Digestion down

Parasympathetic

Heart rate down

Blood pressure down

Breathing down pupil constrict

Digestion up

Two major functions of the brain is

Control behavior and regulate the body’s physiologicak responses

Adult humanbrain weight

3-35 lbs

Adult human brain contains

100 billion neurons

-% of total blood volume is in the brain

20

Negative

Positiven

no correlation

PNS

Autonomic sinomic parasympathetic and sympathetic

Bone disc nerves

Peripheral

Brain and spinal cord

Central

2 main systems

Central peripheral