PSY 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Unstructured Data, Dependent And Independent Variables, Scientific Method
Document Summary
We are unable to observe an objecive reality we have innate biases and perspecives. The universe is probabilisic, rather than determinisic i. e. if a happens, b will probably or possibly happen. Social sciences do sill follow the scieniic method: hypotheses to explain floridians: Diverse populaion because of people moving to florida: predicion about drugs. If we move florida"s drugs to other states, those states should also produce weird acivity/headlines: experiment to test hypothesis about drugs. Take drugs from florida to other states: observe experiment results. Watch trends of headlines in new states. We can never conirm a hypothesis only gather support. Diiculies come for social sciences during the predicion step human behavior is extremely diicult to predict. Quanitaive research --- our focus in this class: structured data (predicions must be clearly deined, staisical analysis, objecive conclusions (conclusion is always tentaive, surveys/experiments. Qualitaive research: unstructured data, summary, subjecive conclusions, interviews/focus groups/observaions.
