Lecture 1 - Course overview and some principles of research

Question 1

what are the two main categories of statistics?

Answer 1

the two main categories of statistics are descriptive statistics (summarizing what we observed this time) and inferential statistics (guessing about what we might observe next time)

Question 2

what does the formula M = ∑X represent?
—–
N
​

​

Answer 2

this formula represents the mean (M), which is calculated by adding up all values of X and dividing the result by N (the number of values)

Question 3

what are the four stages of a research investigation?

Answer 3

the four stages are asking a question, looking for evidence, interpreting the evidence, and reporting findings

Question 4

what are some principles that make for good research?

Answer 4

principles for good research include open-mindedness, rational skepticism, empiricism, nuance and subtlety, tentativeness and honesty

Question 5

How is psychology defined?

Answer 5

Psychology is defined as the study of minds and the behavior of things with minds