1-2 Flashcards
Two main types of Statistics
Descriptive - organize and sumerize (measure - central tendency, variablity, correlation )
Inferential - laws of probability to generalizability of findings (NHSignifcanceTest, alternative hypoth, statistically signifcant)
Central Tendancy m m m
Mean - avearage of all
Median - the score that falls exaclty in the middle of the distribution score
Mode - the most frequent score.
Standard Deviation (variablity)
Bigger the value the bigger away the spred of values ( the average the difference in values… or the dispertion away from it’s average (not covariance).
Covariance is how they move together
Correlation / Correlation Coefficient tells us
Tells us strength of relationship and direction (+/-)
0 means no relationship / 1 is total
positive and negative corelation
corelation ≠ causation
Corelation can tell what varriables are related by not how. Corelations doens’t tell us causation.
Statistically Signifcant
Goals of Psychologists m p c
Measurement and Descrption
Understanding and Prediction
Applicaton and Control
Psychology theory:
a system of interrelated ideas (must be testable) that is used to explain a set of observations
to move from description to understanding
1.a theory must be testable,
2.theory develops a hyplotheisis to research and test.
3.hypothesis is a tentative statement about relationship between varriables.
Scientific Process psychologist
- Formulate Testable hypothesis
- select the research method, design study
- data collection
- data analysis / interpretation
- write up findings for pubs
Operation definitions
a description of the action used to measure or control a variable
(how are we defining, how are we measuring)
1.formulate hypothesis from
hypothesis or prediction can come from Theory, Practical problem or idea
2select research method
choose from various approaches observation, measurement, manipulation in empirical studies
experiments -descriptive/correlational
develop procedure, choose participants
3.Collect the data
direct obs, questionnaire, interveiw, psych test, physiological/neural recording, exam archive records
4Analyze and interpret
q and q
choose analytic strategy
QUANTITATIVE: data are numbers
QUALITATIVE: non-numeric
could be both.
5Publish
scientific journal / peer review 2 to 3 experts
fundamental to scientific process
There are open access journals
Advantages of scientific approach
Clarity and pre* and int*
clarity and precision - cleary indicate and express idea
intolerance of error - important duty as scientist
Indepent / dependent variable
investigate manipulates IND variable, observes changes in second DEP variable (only method where we can make cause and effect conclusion)
ind varies - dep affected
Groups
Experiment group
Control group
randome assigment to cont or exp group
Extraneous variables
extra variables or 3rd variable that could effect dependent variable.
3rd value like foot size
This can lead to a confounding of varriables where it’s difficult to make out effects
Descriptive / Correlational research
descipriction of behaviour / identify assocaitions between varriables
when we can’t get ethics clearance or don’t interfere with participents
Descriptive Corelate - Naturalistic Observations
Advantages- more realistic, helpful if little is know
Disadvantages - reactivity of subjects, coverting obs into numbers
Descriptive Corelate - Case study
indepth invest of individual or group
HM
Advantage - provide detail insight
Disavantage - easily influenced by researcher confirmation bias