PS102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Dependent And Independent Variables, Statistical Inference, Blood Sugar
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
PS102 Lecture 3
Chapter 2 and Appendix B: Overview!
-What is a science? !
-How do psychologists conduct research? !
-How do psychologists make sense of research results?!
-What is a Science?
•The scientific method is designed to
help the scientific process remain as
accurate and precise as possible. !
-Psychology uses the scientific
method !
-How do Psychologists Conduct Research?
•Step 1: Make observations, review the literature !
-Example: You notice that all your musician friends excel at math!
•Makes you wonder about the link between musical training and mathematical
ability so you review previous studies. !
•Step 2: Develop a testable hypothesis !
#1
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Wednesday, January 10, 2018
-Hypothesis= A tentative statement about the relationship between two or more
variables!
•Best if the hypothesis is operationally defined !
-Defined in such a way that it is measurable and testable !
-Example: How to define ‘musical training and mathematical ability?!
•Variables= Any measurable conditions that are controlled or observed in a
study !
-Independent Variable= The variable you manipulate !
-Dependent Variable= The variable you measure !
•Develop a testable hypothesis !
-Example: People with more than 10 hours per week of musical training from
ages of 3-13 years will get high grades in gr 12 math !
•Independent Variable- Musical Training !
•Dependent Variable-Grade they get in gr 12!
•Step 3: Chose participants, select the research method, collect data. !
-A sample of participants is choses from a population using random selection !
•Population= the entire group that is of interest to researchers !
•Sample= the portion of the population that is used in the study !
-Sampling Bias=choosing a sample that does NOT represent your
population !
-Random Selection= When everyone in the population has an equal chance
of being involved !
-Two main types of research methods: !
•1. Descriptive Research= research that is used to observe and describe
behaviour !
-Used to determine the relationship between variables !
•Advantages: !
#2
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Wednesday, January 10, 2018
-More natural conditions, easier data collection, good for theory
development !
•Disadvantages!
-No control, researcher and participant biases, cannot explain cause
and effect !
-Three types of descriptive research: !
•1. Case Studies- focus on a single person !
-Potential problem= research bias-when the researcher sees only that
they expect to see!
-Advantages: !
•Only useful methods to study rare behaviours !
•Very detailed !
-Disadvantages !
•Results may not generalize to other people !
•Cannot determine cause and effect !
•2. Naturalistic Observation- observe people behaving as they normally do !
-Potential problem= Hawthorne Effect- when participants act differently
because they know they are being observed !
-Advantages:!
•Behaviour studied under natural conditions !
•Good to use in conjunction with lab experiments !
-Disadvantages:!
•Time consuming !
•Cannot determine cause and effect !
•3. Surveys - use of a written questionnaire or interview !
-Potential problem= Participant Bias- when participants answer
questions according to what they think they should say rather than
truthfully !
#3
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