Research Methods in Psychology

Research Methods in Psychology Chapter 1 The Scientific Method And so much more

Psychology… The science of behavior Two connotations of science 1) Content (what we know) 2) Process (an activity that includes) a) gathering data b) noting relationships c) offering explanations

IS Red Wine good for you, even though it doesn’t have much resveratrol?http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/2256667 forward to 23.30

Scientific methods… 1) Specifying conditions 2) Systematic observation 3) Explanations of behavior Methodology… Scientific techniques used to collect and evaluate data (the facts and figures gathered in research studies).

Methods include: Everything in Methods section of paper Subjects, Apparatus and Procedures And ‘methods’ used in Results section data transforms, statistical techniques, p values

Commonsense psychology… The kind of everyday, nonscientific data gathering that shapes our expectations, beliefs and directs our behavior toward others (Heider, 1958). Summer internship in Paris… “absence make the heart grow fonder” or “out of sight, out of mind”

Constraints: 1) Source of information 2) Inferential strategies

Nonscientific sources of data… although seemingly trustworthy (e.g., friends, family, people we admire, books or even news reports), are not always very good sources for obtaining valid information. Is there any source that is?

What about this guy? E = MC2 God doesn’t roll dice with the Universe

Any truthiness to superstitions… If you believe that the full moon triggers “lunacy” you might notice and remember abnormal behaviors more and ignore the many more instances of no abnormal behavior during this lunar event. However, we can’t avoid all superstitions, myths and urban legends…

Any truth to superstitions… Apparently, there is some scientific evidence to support the belief that Friday the 13th is unlucky! Scanlon, Luben, Scanlon, & Singleton, 1993

Scanlon et al. 1993… Retrospecitive study comparing Group A: Fri 13 to Group B: Fri 6th Measures vehicles on motorways shoppers in supermakets hospital admissions due to car accidents

Scanlon et al. 1993… Results Fewer vehicles on highway on Fri 13 Number of shoppers were the same Increased hospital admission due to Auto accident on Fri 13

Nonscientific inference… Exercise… Pick someone in the room who you perceive to be different from you. Together, create a list of the actual differences between you and your partner. (5 min.) Next, create a list of the commonalities between you and your partner. (5 min.) Tally the number of differences and the number of similarities.

Result of exercise… You’re suppose to learn that you have more in common than you initially thought…

Nonscientific inference… As commonsense psychologists, we are trait theorists. Perceiving others in terms of their traits can lead to overestimations of the likelihood that they will act in certain ways in a wide variety of situations. Inferential biases are believed to be the brain’s way of coping with an immense amount of information.

Scientific mentality… Alfred North Whitehead traced the development of science in his book Science and the Modern World (1925). He postulated that “faith” in an organized universe is essential to science. Research psychologists share the belief that there are specifiable reasons for the way people behave.

Empirical data… Observable or experienced data are preferable to commonsense data, but does not guarantee that correct conclusions will be reached. Modern scientists propose general principles – laws or theories - to explain observable data.

General principles… Laws are applicable to all situations. Theories pull together groups of scientific facts into an organizing scheme or set of rules. Science progresses only through progressively better theories. ( Popper, 1963)

Good thinking… Collection and interpretation of data should be systematic, objective and rational. Avoid letting private beliefs or expectations influence observations or conclusions.

Pre-conceptual science… Comics: Non Sequitur M&H call it woodenheaded thinking “…assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. (Tuchman, 1984, p. 7).”

Good thinking… Principle of Parsimony, a.k.a. Occam’s Razor “entities should not be multiplied without necessity” Avoid unnecessary assumptions to support a hypothesis. When two explanations are equally defensible, the simplest explanation is preferred until conflicting data rules it out.

Self-correction… Science involves a constant re-evaluation of concepts and explanations. Falsification – challenging existing explanations and theories by testing hypotheses that follow logically from them. modus tollens (procedure of falsification) – it only takes one case of a contrary instance to prove a statement false.

Publicizing results… Scientists publish their results in scientific journals and report findings at professional conferences. Reporting scientific findings is very important to avoid unnecessary duplication of experimental work.

Replication… Replicating experimental work ensures that a result can be reproduced, which sometimes does not happen and may even reveal scientific misconduct. As we shall see in the documentary: The Dark Secret of HendrikSchön

The Tools of Psychological Science Observation – systematic recording of events. Measurement – assigning numerical value to events and objects according to conventional rules or standards. Experimentation – is a process to show that certain events are predictable under certain, specifiable conditions.

Experimentation • Can only be done if a prediction is testable. Two minimum requirements • procedures for manipulating the setting • the predicted outcome must be observable • Drug A increases… • dreaming spatial mapping • anxiety etc.

Scientific Explanations in Psychological Science Antecedent conditions – circumstances that come before an event or behavior. Treatment conditions – antecedent conditions that we create in an experiment. The psychology experiment – a controlled procedure in which at least two different treatment conditions are applied to the subjects.

Establishing cause and effect… 1) If the experiment has adequate control AND 2) If the two treatments result in differences in the behavioral measure, THEN 3) We can infer a cause and effect relationship (antecedent  outcome) 4) This is always stated in terms of the probability or likelihood that the treatment caused the behavioral difference between subjects.

The Colbert Nation:Truthiness A statistically sound scientific concept!

Research Methods in Psychology