PSYC 1200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Jargon, Long-Term Memory, Response Bias

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Psychologists vs. Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists
Physicians (MDs) who specialize in treatment of mental
disorders
Psychologists
Graduate programs of psychology
Master's or PhD (8+ years of study in psychology and
research)
The Process of Psychology: The Scientific Method
Psychology and Common Sense
Common sense phrased in scientific jargon?
Common sense is rooted in our own belief
systems, biases, experiences etc.
§
Research results obvious?
Is Common Sense Uncommon?
Common sense can be useful but it also can be
completely wrong
Contradicts itself (unnoticed)
Look before you leap/ He who hesitates is lost
§
Absence makes the heart grow fonder/ out of
sight, out of mind
§
Better safe than sorry, nothing ventured,
nothing gained
§
"Common sense is the collection is prejudices
acquired by the age of 18. it is also the result
of pervasive and extremely stupid logical
fallacies that have become embedded in the
human brain over generations, for one reason
or another." -Supposedly said by Albert
Einstein
§
Psychology and Science
Attitudes central to scientific approach
Curiosity
§
Skepticism: insist on evidence
§
Open-mindedness: is there another
explanation?
§
The Scientific Method
Analyse Data Collect Data
Develop Theory Design
Research to test Hypothesis
Generate hypothesis
Explanation for a large number of findings/facts
Organizes facts systematically
Guides scientific research
Guides research by generating testable ideas (hypothesis)
Testable predictions
NOT less than fact
Test not to see if you are right, but to see if you are wrong
"It's a good thing scientists are assholes because one
person comes up with a great theory and another
scientist will go and prove them wrong, make sure they
are correct"
Types of Research
Method Questions Answered
Observation
al
1. Description: What is the nature of the
phenomenon?
Correlational2. Prediction: From knowing X, can we
predict Y?
Experimenta
l
3. Causality: Is variable X a cause of
variable Y?
Descriptive Research
Observational studies: Researchers carefully and
systematically observe and record behaviour
usually without interfering
Exploratory
§
Naturalistic vs Laboratory Observation
Observe how people or animals behave in
their natural environment
§
Case Studies
In depth study of a single
person/event/family/organization
E.g. HM (Henry Molaison)
Had his hippocampus removed to stop
epilepsy but now has no short term memory,
he could not remember anything after the
surgery. This is how we found out that short
term and long term memory were two
different things. He could learn skills but
could never remember learning them,
although he got better at these skills as the
time passed.
§
Bias inherent in process
No cause and effect
Correlational Research
Also descriptive- describes the relationship
between two variables
But allows us to predict as well
Correlations range from +1.00 to -1.00
The closer it is to 1.00, the stronger the
correlation, this also tells whether the
correlation is positive or negative (see below)
§
Positive correlations- both factors increase or
decrease together
e.g. more time studying is correlated with
higher grades
§
Negative correlations- as one factor increases, the
other decreases
e.g. self-esteem goes down, depression goes
up
§
Correlations indicate relationship patterns, not
causes
Correlation does not equal causation
Just because people who go to class more
often get better grades does not mean that
going to class is the only reason you would
get a better grade. These students may learn
better than others, they take notes, they do
more homework, etc.
§
*Will try to trick you on the test, there is a
correlation between these, what can we confidently
say..? Be suspicious on questions about
correlation*
Representative Samples
Important for all types of research esp. survey and
experimentation
Select members of a population to study --> sample
To generalize, need a representative sample
Make sure you get a good sample from many people, try
to avoid a bias sample (don’t only ask a football team
what their favourite sport is, make sure to ask many
different people)
Method of Choice: random sampling
Everyone has equal probability of being selected
e.g. Hite Report
Sent out 100,000 surveys to American women
about sexual interests, relationship problems,
etc. only 4.5% of the 100,000 people
responded to this survey
§
She generalized and said that 84% of women
were unhappy in their relationship, 95% of
women "report forms of emotional and
psychological issues in their marriage"
§
Sensitive topics at risk for response bias
i.e., are the 20% that responded different
than the people that did not respond?
§
Lecture 09/14
September 14, 2017
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Psychologists vs. Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists
Physicians (MDs) who specialize in treatment of mental
disorders
Psychologists
Graduate programs of psychology
Master's or PhD (8+ years of study in psychology and
research)
The Process of Psychology: The Scientific Method
Psychology and Common Sense
Common sense phrased in scientific jargon?
Common sense is rooted in our own belief
systems, biases, experiences etc.
§
Research results obvious?
Is Common Sense Uncommon?
Common sense can be useful but it also can be
completely wrong
Contradicts itself (unnoticed)
Look before you leap/ He who hesitates is lost
§
Absence makes the heart grow fonder/ out of
sight, out of mind
§
Better safe than sorry, nothing ventured,
nothing gained
§
"Common sense is the collection is prejudices
acquired by the age of 18. it is also the result
of pervasive and extremely stupid logical
fallacies that have become embedded in the
human brain over generations, for one reason
or another." -Supposedly said by Albert
Einstein
§
Psychology and Science
Attitudes central to scientific approach
Curiosity
§
Skepticism: insist on evidence
§
Open-mindedness: is there another
explanation?
§
The Scientific Method
Analyse Data Collect Data
Develop Theory Design
Research to test Hypothesis
Generate hypothesis
Explanation for a large number of findings/facts
Organizes facts systematically
Guides scientific research
Guides research by generating testable ideas (hypothesis)
Testable predictions
NOT less than fact
Test not to see if you are right, but to see if you are wrong
"It's a good thing scientists are assholes because one
person comes up with a great theory and another
scientist will go and prove them wrong, make sure they
are correct"
Types of Research
Method
Questions Answered
Observation
al
1.
Description: What is the nature of the
phenomenon?
Correlational
2.
Prediction: From knowing X, can we
predict Y?
Experimenta
l
3.
Causality: Is variable X a cause of
variable Y?
Descriptive Research
Observational studies: Researchers carefully and
systematically observe and record behaviour
usually without interfering
Exploratory
§
Naturalistic vs Laboratory Observation
Observe how people or animals behave in
their natural environment
§
Case Studies
In depth study of a single
person/event/family/organization
E.g. HM (Henry Molaison)
Had his hippocampus removed to stop
epilepsy but now has no short term memory,
he could not remember anything after the
surgery. This is how we found out that short
term and long term memory were two
different things. He could learn skills but
could never remember learning them,
although he got better at these skills as the
time passed.
§
Bias inherent in process
No cause and effect
Correlational Research
Also descriptive- describes the relationship
between two variables
But allows us to predict as well
Correlations range from +1.00 to -1.00
The closer it is to 1.00, the stronger the
correlation, this also tells whether the
correlation is positive or negative (see below)
§
Positive correlations- both factors increase or
decrease together
e.g. more time studying is correlated with
higher grades
§
Negative correlations- as one factor increases, the
other decreases
e.g. self-esteem goes down, depression goes
up
§
Correlations indicate relationship patterns, not
causes
Correlation does not equal causation
Just because people who go to class more
often get better grades does not mean that
going to class is the only reason you would
get a better grade. These students may learn
better than others, they take notes, they do
more homework, etc.
§
*Will try to trick you on the test, there is a
correlation between these, what can we confidently
say..? Be suspicious on questions about
correlation*
Representative Samples
Important for all types of research esp. survey and
experimentation
Select members of a population to study --> sample
To generalize, need a representative sample
Make sure you get a good sample from many people, try
to avoid a bias sample (don’t only ask a football team
what their favourite sport is, make sure to ask many
different people)
Method of Choice: random sampling
Everyone has equal probability of being selected
e.g. Hite Report
Sent out 100,000 surveys to American women
about sexual interests, relationship problems,
etc. only 4.5% of the 100,000 people
responded to this survey
§
She generalized and said that 84% of women
were unhappy in their relationship, 95% of
women "report forms of emotional and
psychological issues in their marriage"
§
Sensitive topics at risk for response bias
i.e., are the 20% that responded different
than the people that did not respond?
§
Lecture 09/14
September 14, 2017 8:17 AM
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