PSY100H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2.2: Confounding, Naturalistic Observation, Scatter Plot

• School: UTSG
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY100H1
• Professor: Dan Dolderman

Document Summary

Psychologists always begin their research with a research question, su(cid:272)h as (cid:862)what is the (cid:373)ost effe(cid:272)ti(cid:448)e (cid:449)a(cid:455) to stud(cid:455)? (cid:863) i(cid:374) (cid:373)ost (cid:272)ases, the(cid:455) also (cid:373)ake a p(cid:396)edi(cid:272)tio(cid:374) a(cid:271)out the out(cid:272)o(cid:373)e the(cid:455) e(cid:454)pe(cid:272)t the hypothesis. Psychologists then create a research design, a set of methods that allows a hypothesis to be tested. Research designs influence how investigators: organize the stimuli used to test the hypothesis, make observations, evaluate the results. Research questions all have these common characteristics: variables. A variable is a property of that can take on different values: operational definitions. They are the details that define the variables for the purposes of a specific study: data. When scientists collect observations about the variables of interest, all the information they record is called data. These characteristics of research design are important regardless of the design that is used. However many factors will guide the researcher as they select the appropriate research design for their topic.