Unit 1 - Research Methods

Question 1

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes, Looks at the connection between behavior and mental processes

Answer 1

psychology

Question 2

Before it was called psychology

Answer 2

People wondered how the mind worked
There was evidence of trephination (cutting holes into a skull to let evil spirits out) back in the stone age.
Phrenology - feeling the head/psychics/fortunes

Question 3

The first official textbook in the field of psychology was

Answer 3

The Principles of Psychology by William James

Question 4

Context influences people’s interpretation of information.

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts

Answer 4

Gestalt theory

Question 5

Psychoanalysis – focus on unconscious motives and internal conflicts to determine human behavior.

Repression:
- Freudian slip = say something we didn’t mean to say
- Dream Analysis = we can figure out what’s in our subconscious and what we repress through our dreams

Main goal as human being is to satisfy desires:
- Id, Ego, and Super Ego (devil/satisfied needs, reality principle/in between, angel/ideal situation)

Defense Mechanisms: unconscious strategies we utilize to deal with anxiety/uncomfortableness

Answer 5

Freud and psychoanalysis

Question 6

John Watson, Behaviorism

Answer 6

• scientific study of observable behavior
• Father of Behaviorism is John Watson
• States that psychology must be limited to observable, measureable events = behaviors
• wanted feelings and emotions removed from the study of psychology
  Watson is famous for Little Albert Experiment (rats)

Question 7

When reinforced/rewarded animals more likely to repeat action (Think about when you train a pet), People learn the same way

Answer 7

B.F. Skinner and Reinforcement

Question 8

Classical Conditioning (think dogs salivating)

Answer 8

Ivan Pavlov

Question 9

Looks at the purpose of our behavior and mental processes in order to help us to adapt and survive

Answer 9

Functionism

Question 10

introspection

Answer 10

Structuralism

Question 11

assist people w/ problems in living and in achieving greater well being – adjustment problems/”everyday” problems

Answer 11

Counseling Psychologist

Question 12

studies, assess, and treats people w/ psychological disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, phobias, etc.)

Answer 12

Clinical Psychologist

Question 13

also treat people w/ psychological disorders but have medical degree and can provide/prescribe medications

Answer 13

Psychiatrist

Question 14

Scientific method

Answer 14

1. Form a Question or Theory
2. Form a Hypotheses
3. Research/Experiment
4. Analyze Data
5. Conclusion and Replication

Question 15

Data collection

Answer 15

Case Studies (Little Albert, Genie)
Survey (Wording Effect)
Naturalist Observation
Longitudinal Study
Cross-Sectional Study
Experiments

Question 16

Expresses a relationship between two variables.

A variable is anything that can vary among participants in a study.

Answer 16

Hypothesis

Question 17

Whatever is being manipulated in the experiment.
Hopefully the independent variable brings about change.

Answer 17

Independent variable

Question 18

Whatever is being measured in the experiment.
It is dependent on the independent variable.

Answer 18

Dependent variable

Question 19

Explain what you mean in your hypothesis.

How will the variables be measured in “real life” terms.

How you operationalize the variables will tell us if the study is valid and reliable.

Answer 19

Operational Definitions

Question 20

Sampling

Answer 20

Identify the population you want to study.

The sample must be representative of the population you want to study.

GET A RANDOM SAMPLE.

Question 21

Types of samples

Answer 21

Stratified Sampling = picking any demographic and making your population representative of that
Systematic Sampling = every 10th person gets asked to take the survey
Convenience Sampling = convenient option

Question 22

Looking to prove causal relationships.

Cause = Effect

Answer 22

Experimental method

Question 23

The object of an experiment is to prove that A causes B.
A ____ ____ is anything that could cause change in B, that is not A.

Answer 23

confounding variable

Question 24

Random assignment

Answer 24

Once you have a random sample, randomly assigning them into two groups helps control for confounding variables.

Question 25

Just the fact that you know you are in an experiment can cause change.

Without a control group you can’t say whether change was due to treatment or other variables

Answer 25

Hawthorne effect

Question 26

Correlation

Answer 26

Correlation expresses a relationship between two variables.
Does not show causation.

Positive correlation = The variables go in the SAME direction
Negative correlation = The variables go in opposite directions

Question 27

Correlation coefficient

Answer 27

A number that measures the strength of a relationship.
Range is from -1 to +1
The relationship gets weaker the closer you get to zero.

Question 28

Measure of central tendencies

Answer 28

mean (average), median (middle #), and mode (most frequent #)

Question 29

Measures of variability

Answer 29

Range = distance from highest to lowest scores.
Standard Deviation: the variance of scores around the mean.

The higher the variance or SD, the more spread out the distribution is.

Question 30

Normal distribution

Answer 30

Mean in middle, bottom is measure of standard deviation
68, 95, 98 % rule (1, 2, 3 st devs away)

Question 31

APA Ethical Guidelines for Research
IRB- Internal Review Board
Both for humans and animals.

Answer 31

Animal research:
- Clear purpose
- Treated in a humane way
- Acquire animals legally
- Least amount of suffering possible.

Human research:
- No Coercion (must be voluntary)
- Informed consent
- Anonymity
- No significant risk
- Must debrief

Question 32

Genie documentary

Answer 32

the wild child
- spent her childhood locked up in her bedroom, had developed no language skills
- passed the critical period for language so was no able to learn after being saved
- Explores the ethical controversies surrounding her case and the effects that isolation had on her development
- Ethical issue was that David Rigler was researcher, therapist, and foster father of Genie