PSY-0001 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Scientific Method, Match.Com, Operational Definition
7 Mar 2017
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Develop a theory / derive a hypothesis for an empirical test. Systematic observation (data collection) - must be consistent & limit variation in other variables. Good theories are parsimonious (straightforward) and empirically testable. Hypothesis: on match. com, college graduates will send more introductions to other college graduates over those without degrees. The opposite is true for people who did not go to college. They will prefer others without college degrees over those with. Theory describes/explains a phenomenon, hypothesis predicts the outcome of an experiment. Operational definition - how we make the abstract variables we need to measure or manipulate concrete (so we can quantify it) You"re seeing the very behavior you care about. By observing, you may be changing the behavior significantly (hawthorne effect) You can also be biased by what you expect to observe. Sometimes people don"t want to tell you. Response performance - quantifying reactions to a particular stimulus. Reveal links between biology, mental activity, and behavior.
