PSYC 200W Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Theoretical Definition, Operational Definition, Publication Bias
28 Jun 2018
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Dancing Twins:
Is the behavior induced or natural? Do they influence each other? Do they dance to the radio too or just
when their dad plays the guitar? Is the parent encouraging them? Would they do it if they were alone?
Will this continue over time? Most of these can be tested scientifically by carrying different
observational experiments. However, they might influence each other for a long time because they are
twins and thus, it would be difficult to nullify that effect. Some of these questions seem more scientific
because they are falsifiable or actually give an answer.
Psychology aims to study ABC - affect, behavior, cognition
Wilhelm Wundt - first research psychologist - first psychology lab in Leipzig
Basic research - understand psychological processes and increase our knowledge
Applied research - solve particular problems
Evaluation research - use behavioral research to assess effect of social and institutional programs on
behavior
Goals of Psych Research:
Description: To describe the research that is being conducted . How do we get to this goal? We
can carry out observational studies or descriptive research.
Prediction: Predict worker productivity by giving them different exams, look at different
dimensions of their work, or look at success of students through their SAT or test scores. We use
correlational studies to make these predictions.
Explanation: We try to depict cause and effect relationships between our variables. Only
experimental research allows for this because it allows us to manipulate the variables.
Benefit of research:
Research methods allow people to research more about their professions
Makes one more intelligent and an effective research consumer
Development of critical thinking
Helps one become an authority on research and other topics
Empiricism - relying on observation to draw conclusions
Scientific approach:
Systematic empiricism - scientists structure their observations in a systematic way so they can
use them to draw valid conclusions about the world
Public Verification - carrying out research in such a way that it can be observed, verified, and
replicated by others. Two reasons:
oIt requires the phenomena scientists study are real and observable and not one person's
fabrication - gotten kidnapped by Bigfoot cannot be verified
oIt makes science self correcting - find faults in procedures, methodology errors
Solvable problems - scientists can only investigate those problems that are answerable given
current knowledge and research techniques
Most sayings we hear or read look true in hindsight even if they contradict each other. This is why we
need science because it helps us to avoid traps of common sense called pseudoscience.
Nonsystematic and non-empirical evidence - pseudoscientific data is not made from observation and we
cannot make valid conclusions from it because it is based on myths, anecdotes. Such evidence also
cannot be publicly verified and is not published in scientific journals. They also cannot be tested or
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Most of these can be tested scientifically by carrying different observational experiments. However, they might influence each other for a long time because they are twins and thus, it would be difficult to nullify that effect. Some of these questions seem more scientific because they are falsifiable or actually give an answer. Psychology aims to study abc - affect, behavior, cognition. Wilhelm wundt - first research psychologist - first psychology lab in leipzig. Basic research - understand psychological processes and increase our knowledge. Evaluation research - use behavioral research to assess effect of social and institutional programs on behavior. Description: to describe the research that is being conducted . We can carry out observational studies or descriptive research. Prediction: predict worker productivity by giving them different exams, look at different dimensions of their work, or look at success of students through their sat or test scores. We use correlational studies to make these predictions.
