ﴀﴀ © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Chapter 2: Psychological Research.
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Transcript of ﴀﴀ © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Chapter 2: Psychological Research.
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Chapter 2: Psychological Research
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The Scientific Method
• The approach used by psychologists to systematicallysystematically acquire knowledge and understanding about behavior and other phenomena of interest
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Scientific Method: The Process
Conduct Research
Identify a Question of Interest
Develop anexplanation
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Scientific Method: Developing Explanations
• Theories– Broad explanations and predictions
concerning phenomena of interest
• Hypothesis– A prediction stated in a way that
allows it to be tested
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Scientific Method: Conducting Research
• Research – Systematic inquiry aimed at the discovery of
new knowledge
• Operationalization– Process of translating a hypothesis into
specific, testable procedures that can be measured and observed
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Conducting Psychological Research
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Research Methods
• Archival research– Use of existing data in
order to test a hypothesis
• Naturalistic research– Observation of
naturally occurring behavior without intervention
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Research Methods
• Survey research– A sample of people is asked a
series of questions about their behavior, thoughts, and attitudes in order to represent a larger population
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Research Methods
• Case study– An in-depth, intensive investigation of
an individual or small group of people– Drawback? It is impossible to make
valid generalizations to a larger population
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Research Methods
• Correlational research– The relationship between two sets of variables is
examined to determine whether they are associated or “correlated”
– Correlation does not mean “causation”– Ranges from +1 to -1
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Research Methods
• Correlational research
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Correlational Research
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Research Methods
• Variables– Behaviors, events, or other characteristics
that can change, or vary in some way
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Research Methods
• Experiment– The relationship between two (or
more) variables is investigated by deliberately producing a change in one variable in a situation and observing the effects of that change on other aspects of the situation
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Experimental Research
Control Group:A group that receives
no treatment
Experimentalmanipulation:The change that an
experimenterdeliberately produces
in a situation
Experimental group:
Any group receivinga treatment
Treatment:The manipulation
implementedby the experimenter
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Experimental Research
• Independent Variable– The variable that is manipulated by an
experimenter
• Dependent Variable– The variable that is measured and is expected
to change as a result of changes caused by the experimenter’s manipulation of the independent variable
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Experimental Research: Final Step
• Random assignment to condition– Participants are assigned to different
experimental groups or “conditions” on the basis of chance and chance alone
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Experimental Research: Final Step
• Significant outcome– Meaningful results that make it possible for
researchers to feel confident that they have confirmed their hypotheses
• Replication– Repetition of findings using other procedures
in other setting
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Moving Beyond the Study
• Latane’ and Darley’s experiment
• Group size can cause changes in the degree of helping behavior
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Critical Research Issues
• Ethics
•Protection of participants from physical and mental harm
•The right of participants to privacy regarding their behavior
•The assurance that participation in research is completely voluntary
•The necessity of informing participants about the nature of procedures before their participation in the experiment
•Informed consent
•Deception and debriefing
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Critical Research Issues
• Choosing participants who represent the scope of human behavior
• Should animals be used in research?
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Threats to Experiment Validity
• Experimental bias– Factors that distort how the independent
variable affects the dependent variable in an experiment
• Experimenter expectations• Participant expectations
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Threats to Experiment Validity
• Placebo– A false treatment, such as a pill, “drug”, or
other substance, without any significant chemical properties or active ingredient
2008© يحيح The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Becoming an Informed Consumer of Psychology
• What was the purpose of the research?
• How well was the study conducted?
• Are the results presented fairly?
