Experiment (3)
- Only research method that determines cause and effect.
- must use random assignment.
- Must have two or more identical conditions with 1 different element. Ex. Does caffeine improve memory?
Hypothesis
cause and effect statement (what you think causes something to occur). Ex. I think caffeine causes memory to improve.
Independent Variable
What you think causes the effect. Ex. Caffeine
Dependent variable
What you think is effected. Ex. Memory
Experimental Condition
The one with the independent variable
Control Condition
the one without the independent variable
Random Assignment
- Creates equal conditions or groups with large enough samples. Ex. Group 1 has the same average reading speed as Group 2 if randomly assigned.
- You can NOT assign. groups according to a characteristic Ex. Gender, Race, Personality -there will be far to many variables to account and control for. You can never run an experiment that asks Ex. Being a woman causes you to… Being a man causes you to … Being African American causes you to…
Prediction vs. Hindsight
In order to have a legitimate theory you must be able to make reasonably accurate predictions of what will happen in a study BEFORE the data are in. Explaining something after the results are in explains nothing.
Replication
If a study can be replicated, the more confidence we have that it reflects a genuine relationship. Reliable studies have to be replicated and have the same results.
Trait Theory (4)
- Describe Personality but they can NOT explain why = No Therapy (can not help to change a behavior if the therapist can not describe or determine cause of behavior)
- Assessment: Only PH.D’s can assess personality (They are not explaining the cause of behavior or personality).
- Biological Basis: Traits have a biological factor, traits are universal due to similar biological make-up and is seen across gender, race, culture.
Gordon Allport (5)
- Central Traits 5-10
- With brother Flloyd wrote a personality assessment book in 1921
- 1924: First personality college course
- Did not think traits were universal, thought they were specific to individual people
- Studied people in depth individual and concluded most people could be described in 5-10 traits.
Henry Murray (4)
- 27 psychogenic needs
- Hunted universal traits (Studied 50 upper middle class male Harvard students)
- 27 psychogenic needs: 3 still used today (Need for Achievement, Affiliation and Power)
- TAT: looking at pictures and telling a story about it
Raymond Cattell (3)
- Factor analysis and 16 SourceTraits / 16PF
- Used STATs to find universal personality traits (First to use STATs)
- Used to asses and describe NOT explain
Hans Eysenck
3 super Traits, Extroversion, Neuroticism, Psychoticism
Robert McCrae & Paul Costa (3)
- Big 5 personality traits: OCEAN
- Universal: Studied around the world
- Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism
