LECTURE 3 Flashcards
Statement about a predicted relationship between at least two variables
- Designed to fit the type of research design selected
Hypothesis
Statement of your predictions of how events, traits or behaviors might be related-not about cause and effect
- Some of the designs do not include hypothesis, particularly those used to describe behavior only
No experimental hypothesis
Main idea of an experiment; states cause and effect relationship
- Predicts the changes that will take place in the dependent variable when independent variable was manipulated
Experimental hypothesis
States that the performance of the group is so similar that the score could be sampled from the same population
- Green tea has no significant effects on students mood
Null hypothesis
States that the data came from different populations
- Green tea has significant effects on students mood
Alternative hypothesis
❖ Process of reasoning from specific cases to more general
principles
❖ By examining individual instances, we may be able to
construct an overall explanatory scheme to describe them
❖ Induction is the basic tool in building theory (e.g., Skinner’s
Behavioral Analysis)
EX : Studying the effect of sleep on cognitive performance, the psychologist might begin by noting anecdotal evidence from patients. The psychologist concludes that sleep is crucial for cognitive functioning, insufficient sleep can impaire cognitive performance
Inductive model
❖ Process of reasoning from general principles to make
predictions about specific instances
❖ Most useful when we have a well-developed theory with
clearly stated basic premises
❖ Testing such predictions provides a test for the value of the
theory
❖ Researchers in practice sometimes combine both induction
and deduction in developing theories
EX : Start with a broad theory, adequate sleep is essential for optimal cognitive functioning. Determine whether the results support or refute the hypothesis
Deductive model
❖ The most useful way of finding hypotheses is by working from a
research that has already been done (i.e., nonexperimental and
experimental studies)
❖ Other times, past research will suggest additional variables that
could mediate an effect demonstrated in an experiment
❖ Studies with conflicting outcomes can also help you in creating a
new testable hypothesis
❖ Read an issue of a psychology journal (i.e., periodicals that publish
individual research reports and integrative research reviews) that
interests you
❖ refers to the tendency of finding things that are not
being sought
❖ Ivan Pavlov’s work possessed serendipity since he initially aimed
at determining the time it takes for dogs to salivate after feeding
them
❖ Likewise, serendipity is not just a matter of luck; it is also a
matter of knowing enough to use an opportunity
EX : The discovery of penicillin
Serendipity
❖ Defined as reasoning without knowing, it can be used to
guide us what we choose to study
❖ However, it is important to do experimental literature review
to avoid repetition of an already given information
❖ Simon (1967) stated that intuition is most accurate if it
comes from experts; good hunches are an unconscious
result of our own expertise in an area
❖ Nonetheless, __ should not destroy objectivity upon
arriving to empirical evidences
Intuition
____❖ Try observing how people behave in public places
➢ _____ - naturally formulating hypotheses
about the kinds of antecedents that affects people’s
behavior.
EX : If someone fails a test, you might attribute it to the difficulty of the exam or a noisy environment during the test (External attribution)
❖ Turn your attention to a real-world problem and figure out what
causes it.
When all else fails
Causal attributions
❖ Published research reports can also help you develop
good ideas for procedures on your experiment as well as
tips for measuring your observations
❖ Various psychology books can also serve as reference as
authors cite the most important recent works
❖ ____ - statistical reviewing procedure that uses data
from many studies to summarize research findings
Meta analysis
● What is the existing problem that you wish to
address? Is there a specific population involved?
Population/ problem
What do you plan to introduce to the population to alleviate the problem
Intervention
