checkpoint 2 notes
Reading 1: Process of Scientific Research
research is important in psych to understand human behavior/cognition/emotions
research involves collecting/analyzing data, and coming to conclusions on human behavior + thinking patterns
psychology can be easily misinterpreted based on our own preconceived notions + our backgrounds
scientific knowledge must remain consistent regardless of who the observer is
claims need to be analyzed by considering motives behind how valid it is, seeing how much expert the person w the claim is, looking at supporting evidence, and looking at what other researchers have to say
research both informs and guides our actions
hypothesis: a proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence that’s tested through research + experiments
falsifiable if there’s a way to prove it incorrect, eliminating ideas that aren’t supported by evidence is how scientists improve their understanding of the world
not considered scientifically valid if there’s no way to test it/prove it false
empirical observations: tested in the real world
inductive reasoning: drawing general conclusions from specific observations
ex: someone touches a hot stove and gets hurt, so they now believe that touching any hot object will cause pain
empirical observation turns into hypothesis
deductive reasoning: uses general premises to reach specific conclusions
ex: someone knows that mammals have fur and that cats are mammals, so they assume that cats have fur
hypothesis turns into an empirical observation
Reading 2: Approaches to Research
research is important in psych to understand human behavior/cognition/emotions
the case of phineas gage provided insights as to how the frontal lobe affects personality + behavior regulation
focusing on specific case studies can make it hard to make generalizations about the overall population
brain plasticity: the brain’s capacity to change/adapt in response to experience, learning, or injury involving the formation of new neural connections
naturalistic observation is when behavior is studies without interference
helps researchers understands developmental processes, social dynamics, and individual differences without fake constraints/biases
lack of control over the situation, + needs lots of time + money + observers to prevent observer bias
inter-rater reliability: the consistency between 2+ observers when evaluating the same set of data
surveys ensure diverse responses, but responders may fake responses/give false info due to not understanding the questions
archival research: data collection from large sources of records/data sets to looks for patterns and relationships
provides insights into past research, which helps people avoid being repetitive
saves time and money since they’re not interacting w people
inconsistencies between records can hinder analysis
longitudinal research: data is collected from the same subjects multiple times throughout their life
requires lots of time + resources + commitment
cross-sectional research: gathers data at a single point of time from different people to give a snapshot of the population at that time
data can be collected quickly + with lower cost
difficult to establish causality between variables
Reading 3: Analyzing Findings (1)
correlational research: looks at how variables relate without assuming that one causes the other
focuses on how they change together
correlation coefficient is a value ranging from -1 to 1, a value closer to either of those numbers indicates a stronger relationship
positive correlation: moving in the same direction (both increase/decrease)
negative correlation: moving in different directions (one increases, the other decreases
independent variable: the factors that’s manipulated/changed during the experiment (cause)
dependent variable: what’s changed due to the manipulation of the independent variable (effect)
Reading 4: Analyzing Findings (2)
random samples of the population are preferred to ensure that everyone has an equal chance of selection + enhances representativeness
random assignment is important because it reduces the chance of systematic group differences + limits disparities that could affect results
per reviewed research helps research have more integrity + prevents redundant research. feedback provide by reviewers can also help authors to build upon existing work instead of recreate it
inter-rater reliability: assesses agreement among different observers
internal consistency: measures the correlation among items measuring the same construct
test-retest reliability: evaluates the consistency of outcomes across multiple administrations
ecological validity: how easily it can be generalized to real-world scenarios
construct validity: accuracy in capturing the intended variable
face validity: perceived validity at face value
Reading 5: Ethics in Research
institutional review board (IRB): a committee responsible for reviewing/approving/monitoring research involving human participants to make sure that it’s ethical and meeting regulatory requirements
meant to protect the rights and safety of participants
ensures consent to reviews research protocols
institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC): makes sure that animals are treated humanely during experiments
routinely checks on animal facilities to make sure that they’re compliant with research protocols