1 / 16

Science and Psychology

Science and Psychology. Psych 231: Research Methods in Psychology. Blackboard accounts should now work Office hours are now posted Dr. Cutting: M 11-12, W 2-3 Degarmo 435D Kevin Wallpe: Tu 9-10 Degarmo 12 JD Hogue: W 9-10 Degarmo 12C. Announcements.

burian
Télécharger la présentation

Science and Psychology

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Science and Psychology Psych 231: Research Methods in Psychology

  2. Blackboard accounts should now work • Office hours are now posted • Dr. Cutting: M 11-12, W 2-3 Degarmo 435D • Kevin Wallpe: Tu 9-10 Degarmo 12 • JD Hogue: W 9-10 Degarmo 12C Announcements

  3. Write down two things that you “know”. • Write down HOW you “know” those things. Exercise: How do we know?

  4. Our focus Scientific Method Type of knowledge Objective Subjective having existence outside of a person’s mind (“real”) existing in a person’s mind Rationalism Empiricism Experience Logical reasoning Analysis Observation Deduction Persuasion Ways of knowing Tenacity Faith Intuition Authority Instruction Regulation (rules & laws) Acceptance Methods of Inquiry

  5. The Scientific Method • A method used to test and analyze claims about behavior • Uses systematic observation and experimentation • 4 Cannons of the Scientific method: • Empiricism, Determinism, Parsimony, Testability • A 6 step process (your book breaks it into 7 slightly different steps) Methods of Inquiry

  6. Step 1: Observation (Empiricism) • Pay attention to the world around you, look for generalizations write down two generalizations that you have observed about people’s behavior • Two classes of generalizations • Descriptive generalizations – just describe how it is/what was seen, how frequent, without making predictions • Cause and effect generalizations – makes predictions about the observed relationship between two (or more) things. • (Determinism: phenomenon have identifiable causes) Scientific Method

  7. Variables • The characteristics of the behavior and the surrounding context • Step 2: Develop a theory or hypothesis • Identify the variables associated with your observations • An explanation for the observed behavior(s) • How are the variables related to one another? • May be based on past research, common sense, intuition, logic, etc. Scientific Method

  8. Step 3: Generate a testable prediction • Testability: Need to specify how your hypothesis can be tested through observation. • The relevant variables must be defined and observable. • Falsification is at the heart of the scientific method • Scientists don’t try to prove a theory, but rather set out to refute (“disprove”) theories • Refutable hypotheses - must be stated in a way that allows the potential for it to be wrong Karl Popper wiki Scientific Method

  9. Step 4: Make systematic observations • Observational and experimental methods • Which variables will we examine? • How do we measure these variables? • Which variables can we systematically manipulate? • What variables need to be controlled? • Were (from whom) will we collect the observations? Scientific Method

  10. Step 5: Evaluate your evidence • Refutes theory • Supports theory (not “proves the theory”) • Leads to the revision of the theory • Consider alternative theories • There are always alternative explanations • Parsimony: Simple explanations are preferred over more complex ones Scientific Method

  11. new hypotheses systematic observations predictions new hypotheses systematic observations predictions hypotheses • Step 6: Repeat observations Scientific Method

  12. Dr. Sigmund Freud Dr. Phil (McGraw) • Write down the names of three scientists • What field of science do they belong to? • Write down the name of a famous psychologist • Do they represent the standard psychologist? • NO! • Psychology is a diverse discipline • ISU’s Psych Dept has 6 different groups • APA has 54 different divisions of psychology Psychology as a science

  13. What is science? • What are the goals of science? • Is psychology a science? • Yes • Studies the full range of human behavior using scientific methods • Applications derived from this knowledge is scientifically based Psychology as a science

  14. Psychology’s goals are similar to the goals of the physical sciences (e.g., physics and chemistry) • Psychologists are concerned with the behavior of people (and animals) rather than the physical world. • How is psychology different from the physical sciences? • Human (and animal) behavior is typically much more variable than most physical systems. • Statistical control • Methodological control • Often the thing of interest requires indirect measurement (and thus underlying assumptions) Psychology as a science

  15. Simplest Complex • Description of behavior • Describe events, what changes what might affect change, what might be related to what, etc. • Prediction of behavior • Given X what will likely happen • Control of behavior • For the purpose of interventions (e.g., how do we prevent violence in schools) • Causes of behavior • Sometimes predictions aren’t enough, want to know how the X and the outcome are related • Develop specific theories • Explanation of behavior • A completetheory of the how’s and why’s 5 Goals of psychology

  16. Developing your research ideas • Reviewing the literature • Moving from ideas to hypotheses • Chapter 2 Next time

More Related