PSYCH: Methods Flashcards
What is psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of how mental and behavioural process.
What are the three main reasons we need scientific method?
Intuition, common sense, and overconfidence may be misleading.
What does Kant state?
Kant states that for scientific method to be viable, we need to apply both rationalism and empiricism. Rationalism is the use of critical thinking, logic, and measurements. Empiricism on the other hand, is the learning of the world through observations and experience.
What are the 6 steps to scientific method?
- Identify the problem
- Gather information
- Generate a hypothesis
- Generate and conduct a procedure
- Analyze the data and draw a conclusion
- Repeat
True or false: replication is not always essential in sciene.
FALSE. Replicating a study ensures confidence in a certain study.
Science is in a constant state of ___________.
evolution
What are descriptive methods?
Descriptive methods are methods used to describe a certain group. The four methods used in descriptive research are: naturalistic observation, participant observation, case studies and surveys.
Define the Hawthorne effect
The Hawthorne effect is when a study group of participants acts differently when they realise that they are being observed. (For example, quantum particles behave differently when they are being observed)
Give an example of the Hawthorne effect.
In a factory setting, the workers worked harder when they realised that theyre being observed.
What is a case study?
A case study is the in-depth analysis of a unique circumstance or individual.
What is correlational research?
Correlational research seeks to identify the strength of correlation between two variables, whether they covary or not, and in what direction? (positive/negative)
Positive correlation
When two variables move in the same direction. As one increases, the other increases as well. r>0
Negative correlation
When two variables move in opposite directions. As one increases, the other decreases. r<0
Which correlation is stronger: -0.95 or 0.5?
-0.95
Independent variables
The independent variables is the variable that influences the other variable and is not being studied by the researcher. It can be controlled for.
