psychological methods-

Chapter 2 Section 1Conducting Research-

Steps of Scientific Research

• Form a Question• Form a Hypothesis• Test the Hypothesis• Analyze Results of Test• Draw a Conclusion

• Hypothesis: an educated guess

Replicated

• The study must be repeated– Repeated

• Repeated– Repeated

…..etc

Surveys, Samples, & Populations

The Survey Methodsection 2

Surveys

• Asked to respond to a series of questions about a particular subject

• The finding are not

always accurate.

I will tell you what you want to hear

• Not because of the surveys because of the information people give.

• Some fear that their info wont be kept confidential.

Fun with Surveys

Target population

Target populationThe whole group you want to study or describe.

• Too many in the target population

• Study a sample- only a part of the target population

Random sample

Individuals are selected by chance from the target

population

Stratified Sample

Subgroups in the population are represented proportionally

Volunteer bias

People who volunteer to participate in research often because they have more free

time or an personal interest in the study.

about a biased survey

Methods of Observationsection 3

The test methods

• IQ tests

• Personality tests

• Aptitude tests

An in depth investigation of an individual or a small group

Cross method

• Instead of following a set of individual over a number of years, researcher select a sample that includes people of different ages

Naturalistic observation

• Whether on groomed trails or following a troop through the underbrush, careful record keeping is essential to naturalistic observation.

Observe behavior in laboratory- controlled environment

Analyzing Observations

• Correlation– A measure of how closely one thing is related

to another

• Two types of correlation– Positive– negative

Education / Salaries

• Positive correlation– One goes up so does

the other

Stress / Health

• Negative correlation– When one goes up the

other goes down

Experimental Methodsection 4

Experimental Method

• Answers questions about cause and effect

Variables- factors that can vary or change

• Independent- factors that researchers manipulate

• Dependent- depends on the independent variable.

Experimental groups receive the treatmentControl group does not . Every effort is made so

all other conditions are held constant

• Placebo- a substance or treatment that has no effect apart from a person’s belief in it.

Single blind studies

• Participants are unaware of the treatment they are taking

Double blind study- both participant and experimenters are unaware who has obtained the treatment

Ethical Issuessection 5

Ethics

• Are standards for proper and responsible behavior.

Confidentiality- the records about research participants are kept private.

Informed Consent Deception

• People agree or consent to participate in a research study only after they are given a general overview of the research.

• At times participates are deceived. In testing a new drug the control group would be deceived by receiving the placebo.

Animal research

Is this Ethical?

• Stem cell research

• Selling of organs

• Using animal for research

• Genetic engineering