PSY 101: CHAPTER 2

Chapter Overview

Introduction to Research in Psychology

• Research is pivotal for understanding human behavior.

• Importance of critically evaluating research due to media misrepresentation.

• Understanding research methods aids in discerning valid information from misinformation.

Why Care About Research?

• Objective of Research:

  • Vital for acquiring new knowledge.

  • Tends to be narrow and specific but often generalized in media.

  • Misunderstood research can lead to misinformation.

• Importance:

  • Knowing how to interpret research aids in navigating daily information.

Goals of the Scientific Method

1. Measure and describe behaviors or phenomena.

2. Understand and predict behaviors or phenomena.

3. Apply findings for control of behaviors or phenomena.

Outline of the Scientific Approach

1. Formulate hypothesis.

2. Select method and design.

3. Collect data.

4. Analyze and draw conclusions.

5. Report results and findings.

Step 1: Formulate a Testable Hypothesis

• Research Question:

  • Identify what you want to investigate and its significance.

• Hypothesis Formation:

  • Must be specific and testable.

  • Influences the research method, data collection strategies, analysis, and conclusions.

• Variables:

  • Identify and operationally define key variables.

Types of Variables

• Independent Variable (IV):

  • Manipulated by the researcher.

• Dependent Variable (DV):

  • The variable of interest that is expected to change due to IV manipulation.

Other Variables to Consider

• Extraneous Variables:

  • Other factors that may influence the DV.

• Confounding Variables:

  • Extraneous variables linked to the IV, potentially skewing results.

Practical Application in Class

• Discuss a psychological question of interest.

• Formulate a hypothesis and identify IV and DV for the chosen question.

Step 2: Select Method and Design

• Method Selection:

  • Determines how variables will be observed, measured, and manipulated.

• Implications:

  • Impacts the testing of the hypothesis and subsequent conclusions.

Correlational Methods

• Used when IV cannot be manipulated.

• Goal:

  • Identify associations between variables.

• Key Distinction:

  • Correlation does not imply causation.

Data Collection Techniques

• Observation:

  • Naturalistic observation of behavior without intervention.

• Surveys:

  • Use of questionnaires/interviews to gather data. (e.g., quick surveys on anxiety and math performance).

• Case Studies:

  • In-depth examination of an individual subject.

Experimental Research

• Control and Manipulation:

  • Researcher controls the IV to observe effects on DV.

• Group Design:

  • Experimental group receives treatment; control group receives placebo.

  • Importance of random assignment.

Variations of Experimental Research

• Expose subjects to both experimental and control conditions.

• Manipulate multiple IVs or measure several DVs for more comprehensive results.

Analyzing Data & Conclusions

• Convert observations to numerical data.

• Employ statistics for data analysis.

• Results assess the support for the hypothesis:

  • Supported hypothesis increases confidence in theory.

  • Unsupported hypothesis decreases confidence in theory.

Correlational Data Analysis

• Examine relationships between variables:

  • Direction of relationship (positive or negative).

  • Magnitude or strength of the relationship.

Direction of Correlation

• Positive Correlation:

  • Both variables increase or decrease together.

• Negative Correlation:

  • One variable increases while the other decreases.

Magnitude of Correlation

• Strong correlations provide greater predictive power; strength indicated on a scale ranging from -1 to +1.

Correlation does not equal Causation

• Cautions on interpreting correlations

  • Associations may be due to third variables.

Reporting Results

• Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals for expert evaluation.

• Methodological rigor and statistical integrity subject to evaluation.

Researcher Influences

• Experimenter Bias:

  • Researcher's expectations can skew results.

• Participatory Effects:

  • Subjects may alter behavior based on perceptions.

• Solutions:

  • Implementing double-blind procedures to mitigate biases.

Problems with Reporting Results

• Emphasis on new findings over null results can skew perception of reliability.

• The reproducibility crisis highlights challenges in psychology research, with only a fraction of studies replicating successfully.

Key Topics to Know

• Goals and steps of the scientific method.

• Hypothesis characteristics and types of variables.

• Understanding correlation vs. causation and basic experimental setups.

• Recognizing the implications of placebo effects in research.