PSYC 201W Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Heredity

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 201W
• Professor: A.George Alder

Document Summary

Critical thinking when designing experiments often focus on issues of valid inference. Inferences about constructs: assume that our measures are accurate, valid, and well-defined. Statistical inferences: infers that data is significant and reflects true differences rather than chance factors. Operates at the results and data level. Causal inferences: inference that the manipulation caused the outcome (change in dv) Inferences about generalizability: infers that the relationship between variables applies to other situations and contexts. All these inferences are stepwise; inferences about constructs are necessary for statistical inferences, which are important for drawing causal inferences, etc. Tryon conducted the rat-breeding experiment discussed in the opening of the chapter, though did not use the term (cid:1154)intelligence(cid:1155)(cid:1144) he talked about (cid:1154)maze-learning ability(cid:1155) and (cid:1154)learning ability(cid:1155) instead. His conclusion was that bright and dull rats differed in cognitive ability as a function of their experimentally controlled heredity.