PSYC 2510 Lecture Notes - Confounding, Observer-Expectancy Effect, Statistical Hypothesis Testing

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2510
• Professor: Agnieszka Kopinska

Document Summary

We seek to better understand human behavior by posing research questions. Many ways of knowing a piece of information. Authority accepting the validity of a claim because an expert or someone in authority is the source of the information. Use of reason using logic to determine the truth of a statement. Depends on the truth value of the premises. Researchers are humans; they can be influenced by outside sources (authority, experience, reason, etc. ) Research methods are used to promote objectivity/validity of findings. Assumes statistical determinism events can be predicted with a probability greater than chance. Specification of exactly what they are taking about in a hypothesis. Relative intolerance of error (produces public knowledge) Scrutinized with a critical eye wrong until proven right. Theories can be disproven research must be sufficiently detailed to be replicated by other research. Theories evolve and are revised based on new data. Hypotheses are derived by breaking up theories into testable parts.