PSYC 2000 Chapter : Conditioning
Document Summary
The scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Not: application of pseudoscientific beliefs (e. g. , hypnosis can help you lose weight) or application of common sense (e. g. opposites attract) System of reducing bias and error in the measurement of data. Systematic and logic way of investigating something in a public arena. Psychologists use it to describe, explain, analyze data. Research types: basic research: conducted to answer questions about nature of behavior and cognition, applied research: conducted to resolve practical problems-develops new innovations/technologies. Intro to the scientific method: perceive the question, form a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, draw conclusion, publish results. Research begins with a theory, which is a principle or general set of principles put forward to explain phenomena. It should: organize and explain facts about behavior, generate new knowledge, help predict behavior. The hypothesis is a testable statement of the theory that we can revise, accept, or reject.
