PSYC 215 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Pediatrics, Operational Definition
16 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture 5
➢ Theory:
• A theory is an organized set of principles that can be used to
explain observed phenomena.
• It is evaluated in terms of simplicity, comprehensiveness and
generativity.
➢ Hypothesis:
• A testable statement about the relationship between two or more
variables.
Types of Research:
➢ Basic Research:
• Goal is to increase our understanding of human behaviour
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Document Summary
Theory: a theory is an organized set of principles that can be used to explain observed phenomena. It is evaluated in terms of simplicity, comprehensiveness and generativity. Hypothesis: a testable statement about the relationship between two or more variables. Basic research: goal is to increase our understanding of human behaviour, often designed to test a specific hypothesis from a specific theory, example: sex differences in how the brain activates while. Independent variables: the factors that experimenters manipulate to see if they affect the dependent variable. Dependent variables: the factors experimenters measure to see if they are affected by the independent variable. Subject variables: variables that characterize pre-existing differences among study participants. (example: personality traits) Construct validity: the extent to which the measures used in a study actually measure hat they were designed to measure, the degree to which manipulations used in an experiment actually manipulate the variables they were intended to manipulate.
