PSY240H1 Chapter 3: CH3 Textbook Notes
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PSY240H1 Full Course Notes
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Populations of interest can be difficult to convince to participate in research. Abnormal behaviours and feelings are difficult to measure accurately. Researchers often rely on self-report of their internal states and experiences. Observer"s assessment can also be biased by stereotypes. Most forms of abnormality have multiple causes. This chapter will examine the idea that stress causes depression. Hypothesis: a testable statement of what we predict will happen in the study. E. g. people who have recently experienced stress are more likely to be depressed than people who haven"t. Null hypothesis: expectation that there is no relationship between the phenomena being studied. E. g. people who experience stress aren"t more likely to develop depression than people who don"t. Variable: a factor or characteristic that can vary within an individual or between individuals. E. g. weight, mood, neurotransmitter level, height, sex, ethnicity. Dependent variable: the factor being predicted in a study. Independent variable: the factor that is believed to affect the dependent variable.
