PSYB01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Psycinfo, Social Sciences Citation Index, Education Resources Information Center
Document Summary
Once the hypothesis is proposed, data has to be gathered and evaluated in terms of whether it is consistent or inconsistent with the hypothesis. After a study has been designed to test the hypothesis, the researcher makes a prediction about the outcome of the experiment. The results of the study either confirm or reject the hypothesis or lead to further research using different methods to study the hypothesis. When the results of a study confirm a prediction, the hypothesis is supported, not proven. Participants or subjects can be used to describe the humans who take part in psychological research. Respondents: individuals who take part in survey research. Informants: people who help researchers understand the dynamics of particular cultural and organizational settings. Sometimes specific terminology is used, such as employees in an organization or students in the classroom. Common sense: the things we all believe to be true, common sense ideas are not always true, so testing them can be valuable.
