Psychology Scientific Methodology

Psychology Psychology: the scientific study of behavior and mental processes Scientific Methodology 1. Questions based on observations 2. Develop a testable guess into a hypothesis a. Specific variables that can vary and be measured 3. Test your hypothesis 4. Draw conclusion if the hypothesis was supported or not a. Learn from being not supported/wrong b. Replicate/re-test if supported/right because it could have been luck, or you did something to make a certain outcome 5. Report/Publication to be reviewed/revised Ex. Is there a genetic component to schizophrenia? ● Schizophrenia parents have children that might have schizophrenia and compare this to rates of regular parents having a child that has schizophrenia ● Can measure this question and compare population percentages Ex. Is abortion wrong? ● “wrong” can’t be defined, is subjective and is philosophical. ● Opinion-based questions, one thing better than another, not a defined measure ● Cannot create/define these variables Descriptive Methods – Observation ● Getting answers by watching through a one-way mirror or a small hidden camera ○ Ex. Reacting (time restriction) ○ What’s Happening or How much is something happening? Case Study (not used often on 1 person now) ● Detailed on specific individual to apply more broadly to other people Survey (most popular) ● Can't tell from observation, but marks off personal internal state, if honest Correlation: a statistical estimate of the relationship between variables ● Positive: Increases or decreases in one variable are associated with increases or decreases on other (both move to one side) (inc/inc or dec/dec) Positive slope. ● 0 < r < 1, if closer to 1 then it is a strong correlation, closer to 0 is no correlation ● Ex. Height and weight (inc/inc) (dec/dec) & Ex. SAT & GPAs r=0.42, p <0.001 ● Negative: increases in one variable are associated with decreases on other ● 0 > r ≥ -1 Negative slope, if closer t –1, strong correlation, 0 is no correlation ● Ex. As test anxiety increases, the level of performance decreases (opposites) Correlation ≠ Casuation ● Correlated variables do not directly impact or make conclusions on causation ● There could be a different factor/variable that could be causing it instead Experiments ● Allow to argue cause and Nneed to manipulate variable(s) ○ Independent: manipulate w/ ≥ 2 groups ○ Dependent: measured ○ Control: no extraneous variables Random Assignment to Groups ● Try to eliminate extraneous variables by “controlling” things you can’t control, or haven't thought of to assume the groups aren’t different ● Normal Distribution Graph (Bell Curve) Experiment: Personal Space by Middlemist et al. 1976 ● Ex. In discomfort, urination has a slow up-start but fast process subconsciously ○ IV: Close (~18”) ○ ○ Moderate (~54”) ○ Control (no confederate) ■ Level of interpersonal space ○ DV: time from approach to start, time from start to stop ■ Onset and duration of urination ○ Hypothesis: Personal Space Violations will produce arousal ● Personal space invasions generate discomfort ○ We don’t see the discomfort but the behavioral responses Ethics: 1. Beneficence & Nonmaleficence: benefit people working with, not harming them 2. Fidelity & Responsibility: trust those working with, protection 3. Integrity: honest, helpful, and truthful in science 4. Justice: fairness and justice to all with equal quality 5. Respect for Rights & Dignity: self-determination, privacy, confidentially Deception: Yes, IF justified by the significant scientific value of the study ● Explain deception as early as possible and allow for data withdrawal/delete Institutional Review Board (IRB): review before able to do the experiment ● People caught by false/made-up data by peer review/IRB Hoffman Report 2015: torture for interrogation after 9/11 (added in section 3b)