PSY100H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Observer-Expectancy Effect, Naturalistic Observation, Participant Observation
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PSY100H1 Full Course Notes
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The scientific method is used to answer what happens, when it happens, what causes it, and why (36) Theory = a model of interconnected ideas and concepts that explains what is observed and makes predictions about future events (36) A theory is good if it produces many testable hypotheses (38) There are descriptive, correlational, and experimental designs (39) Descriptive studies involve observing and noting behavior to analyze it objectively (40) This can occur through naturalistic observation, where observers don"t change or alter ongoing behavior, or participant observation, where the researcher is actively involved in the situation (40) Participant observation can cause problems with the observer losing objectivity or the subjects altering behavior once they recognize they"re being observed (40) Descriptive techniques are especially valuable in the earliest stages of research when researchers are just trying to figure out whether a phenomenon exists (41)
