PSYCH 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Psychological Science, Operational Definition, Caffeine
Document Summary
Hypothesis: a prediction based on a theory. Theory: the media influences teens to use drugs. Hypothesis: the more media a teen is exposed to, the more likely the teen is to use drugs. Hypothesis: the more aggressive a person is, the worse his/her driving will be. Operational definition: how what is in question will be measured (defining a term from the hypothesis in a measurable way) Examples: measure what we mean by media, drug use, aggression, bad driving. The scientific method employs different types of methods to conduct research. Each method has a unique advantages and disadvantages. What method a researcher uses depends on what questions he/she is trying to answer. All research is based on systematic observation and rules of evidence. Descriptive studies: describe and predict behavior: case study: detailed account of an individual being studied. Not used often- individual may not be able to be generalized for population. Done for unique cases: observational studies:
