Lecture 1: Introduction to methods of psych

Question 1

rationalism

Answer 1

• methods related to logic that allow us to explain things

Question 2

empiricism

Answer 2

• question established thoughts/theories
  states that the only source of knowledge comes through our senses

Question 3

who is Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 3

• 1879 establishes 1st experimental psychology lab in Germany

Question 4

falsifiability

Answer 4

• situation in which the theory can be untrue
• a theory can only be considered scientific if in principle it was possible to establish it as false

Question 5

validity of measures

Answer 5

• measures will give an accurate picture of what we are trying to examine
• how accurately a method measures what it is intended to measure

Question 6

replicability

Answer 6

• procedure can be done again by a different scientist

Question 7

operational definitions

Answer 7

• definition something in terms of how you measured it
• the statement of procedures the researcher is going to use in order to measure a specific variable

Question 8

causality

Answer 8

• what causes something else

Question 9

what do you need to have causality (three things)

Answer 9

• covariation of events (things change together)
• time-ordered relationship (temporal precedence) - cause has to happen before the effect happens
• elimination of possible alternative causes (eliminating other variables that could be making the effect)

Question 10

confound

Answer 10

• the presence of potential causes of a behaviour in addition to the causes a researcher is aware of
• factors other than the independent variable that may cause a result

Question 11

internal validity

Answer 11

• lack confounds in research
• observed results represent the truth in the population we are studying
• the degree of confidence that the causal relationship being tested is trustworthy and not influenced by other factors or variables

Question 12

external validity

Answer 12

• generalizability of research
• you can generalize the findings of a study to other situations, people settings and measures

Question 13

blind design

Answer 13

• fixes participant bias
• keeps the participant in the dark

Question 14

double blind designs

Answer 14

• fixes experimenter biases
• keep the experimenter and participant in the dark to avoid letting them accidentally affecting the results of the trial

Question 15

anthropomorphization

Answer 15

• projecting human qualities on non human species
• what is true for a dog may not be true for humans

Question 16

basic research

Answer 16

• fundamental questions about the nature of behaviour
• crucial to public policy

Question 17

applied research

Answer 17

• conducted to address issues in which there are practical problems and potential solutions
• often guided by theories and findings of basic research
• focuses on solving problems, curing illnesses, and innovating new technologies