PSYC 1001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Operational Definition, Advantageous, Social Desirability Bias

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1001
• Professor: Bruce Tsuji

Document Summary

Measurement and description: an investigator must figure out a way to measure the phenomenon under study. The first goal of psychology is to develop measurement techniques that make it possible to describe behaviour clearly and precisely. Understanding and prediction: a hypothesis (to evaluate their understanding) is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. Variables are any measureable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviours that are controlled or observed in a study. Application and control: many scientists hope that the information they gather will be of some practical value in helping to solve everyday problems. Today, the profession of psychology attempts to apply research findings to practical problems in schools, businesses, factories, and mental hospitals. To build towards a better understanding of behaviour, they construct theories. A system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations. Theory construction is a gradual, iterative (trial and error) process that is always subject to revision.