Midterm 1 - Lecture 2 (CH1/Ch2)

Question 1

5 GOALS of scientific research in Psychology:

Answer 1

a. Describing behaviour
b. Predicting behaviour
c. Determining behaviour
d. Understand or explain behaviour
e. Applying what we know to solve people’s problems

(first 4 = basic research, e. = applied research)

Question 2

Basic Research:

Answer 2

• Desire to expand knowledge; not trying to solve, but to understand (curiosity driven!)
• Increase understanding of fundamental principles
• Intended to answer how, why, or what questions
• Does not address a specific practical problem

Question 3

Applied Research

Answer 3

• Answer specific questions aimed at solving practical problems
• New knowledge acquired has specific practical objectives: therapies, treatments, procedures, policies, etc.
• Can lead to new fundamental questions

Question 4

Theories

Answer 4

Theories: Broad framework for organizing and explaining a collection (many sets) of data

• Spurs research that tests boundaries of a theory (EX: Money can buy happiness, depending on how it is used)
• Builds on past research
• NOT TO BE TIED WITH EVERYDAY SLANG, as in to describe an idea that’s right or wrong. A better “description” is hypothesis

Question 5

Hypothesis

Answer 5

Hypothesis: Tentative statement about something that might be true - BASED ON THEORY

• EX: When people spend money on other people, they will feel happier than when they spend it on themselves

Question 6

What data can’t say about hypothesis:

Answer 6

Data do NOT “confirm” or “prove” hypotheses - rather, “hedge” statements, support

Question 7

Strong Hypothesis:

Answer 7

• Make predictions that exposes itself to falsification
• Make specific predictions = strong confirmations

Question 8

Weak Hypothesis:

Answer 8

• Make very general predictions
• Make general predictions = weak confirmations (almost always true)

Question 9

Prediction:

Answer 9

• Prediction: specific statement about the expected outcome of a study, given your specific method

Question 10

Principle of Parsimony:

Answer 10

Parsimony: simpler theories are better than more complex theories that can explain the same phenomenon (a rule of thumb); Explain as much as possible with as little as possible.

• Fewer links in a causal chain
• Every variable in the theory is necessary for the effect to occur.
• More parsimonious theories are more falsifiable than less parsimonious theories (requires fewer studies in order to disprove it)

Question 11

What are the 2 important functions in science that Theories provide?

Answer 11

Organize & explain a large number of previous observations, which aren’t as meaningful by themselves as when a theory can describe how they’re all related to one another
- Can provide a few abstract observations in which others can build upon; ex: theory of evolution

Help generate new knowledge, by pointing us in a direction where we can look to discover new aspects of behaviour
- When these aspects are evaluated in future studies, which support the hypotheses, the theory is further then supported
- When a theory gains more and more support, the more confident we can be that the theory is correct
- Can also reveal flaws, and motivate others to account and build upon new data to fix this

Question 12

Benefits of Past Research

Answer 12

• Familiarizing oneself with previously validated knowledge is the best method to generating new ideas.
• Allows you to find inconsistencies within results: some studies can find an effect, while others don’t

Question 13

Developing Hypotheses & Predictions

Research Hypothesis

Answer 13

Research Hypothesis: statement about a phenomenon that may or may not be true, informed by past research or derived from a broader theory, and requires further evidence to support or refute it

• If little to no research has been done on a topic, then there might not be enough existing evidence to formulate a strong hypothesis (in this situation, a researcher might choose to conduct purely exploratory research that is not aimed to test a particular hypothesis)

Question 14

Developing Hypotheses & Predictions

While designing the study, the researcher translates the more general hypothesis into…

Answer 14

• A specific prediction - concerning the outcome of this particular study
• Tied to the methods of a particular study
• Includes specifying measures of study, naming predictions in the future tense

Question 15

If results are consistent with the prediction, the more general research hypothesis is…

Answer 15

• Also supported
• We have evidence consistent with the hypothesis being correct; but the evidence doesn’t PROVE the hypothesis correct yet
• If not consistent, hypothesis is rejected, or further research is conducted