Chapter 2: Methods in Psychology

Question 1

Outline the process of the scientific method

Answer 1

Step 1: Observe an interesting behaviour
Step 2: Form initial theory
Step 3: Construct hypothesis from initial theory
Step 4: test the hypothesis by manipulating IV and measuring DV.
Step 5: if results don’t support hypothesis, revise theory and construct a new hypothesis.
Step 6: If results support hypothesis, try to replicate the results.
Step 7: If results can be replicated, theory is established
Step 8: If the results cant be replicated, theory is rejected
Step 9: Form new theory, construct hypothesis and repeat steps.

Question 2

What are the challenges in studying human behaviour?

Answer 2

• People are highly complex
• People are highly variable
• People are highly reactive

Question 3

Name the properties of a good operational definition.

Answer 3

• It is the description of a property in measurable terms.

- Has good construct validity: how well the property is characterized

Question 4

What are some of the methods psychologists use to avoid demand characteristics?

Answer 4

• Naturalistic observation: observing people in their natural environment
• Privacy and control: gathering info privately/anonymously and measuring behaviours people can’t/wont control
• Unawareness: people being observed are unaware of true purpose.

Question 5

What is a frequency distribution?

Answer 5

• A graphic representation showing how many times a value occurs.

Question 6

How do psychologists avoid observer bias?

Answer 6

• Double-blind study: neither researcher/participant knows how the participants are expected to behave

Question 7

Describe the two main types of descriptive statistics?

Answer 7

• Central tendency: measurements that tend to lie near the centre/midpoint of the frequency distribution
• Variability: how much measurements differ

Question 8

Explain what you can/cannot conclude from correlational research.

Answer 8

Can:
- Predict the value of one variable from the knowledge of the other value
Cannot:
- That they are related

Question 9

What are the components of an experiment?

Answer 9

• Manipulation
• Control
• Random assignment
• Random selection

Question 10

How do experiments solve the third-variable problem?

Answer 10

• Done through manipulation and by eliminating/controlling other possible causes.

Question 11

What are type I and type II errors?

Answer 11

• Type I: conclude that there is a relationship between two variables when there is not (false positive)
• Type II: conclude that there is no relationship between two variables when there is (false negative)

Question 12

What are the three basic principles that ethical research must follow?

Answer 12

• Researchers should show respect for persons, be beneficent and just.
• Ethical data reporting is necessary and approval from institutional review boards should be gained
• Psychologists must report truthfully, share credit and data