L4 - scientific/experimental method

Question 1

Braitenberg vehicle

Answer 1

tempted to describe machines with very simple internal structures using psychological language
dynamic, complex, unpredictable behaviours can emerge from simple systems

Question 2

Ockham’s razor

Answer 2

given several explanations, simplest should be accepted (easiest to test)

Question 3

reductionism

Answer 3

only need mechanistic explanation
but do we need a psychological explantion/would it add something about the true nature?
cannot empirically exclude philosophical possibilities, only know what we can observe
problem: emergent behaviour - emergent behaviour may be unpredictable

Question 4

rationalism

Answer 4

using reason & logical arguments
observation unecessary and potentially misleading

Question 5

empiricism

Answer 5

hypotheses need to be (dis)confirmed by observation using empirical, descriptive, and experimental methods
observation reproduced more -> more certain

Question 6

scientific method

Answer 6

observation->hypothesis->prediction->experiment->analysis-»
fact = data + theory

Question 7

inductivism

Answer 7

observations->theory->hypothesis->more observations->laws
“all swans are white”

Question 8

falsificationism

Answer 8

refutable statement deduced from theory, experiment set up to falsify not confirm theory
strict testing
theory can be changed & tested again

Question 9

Kuhn’s cycle of revolutions

Answer 9

“science progresses funeral by funeral”
preparadigm period->normal science->anomaly->crisis->revolution->normal science

Question 10

observer effects

Answer 10

our “reality” manifests in a specific way based on our interaction with it
experimentation assumes that only factor affecting behaviour is objectively manipulated variables but this is incorrect

Question 11

experimenter bias

Answer 11

exposure of rodents to male experimentors produces pain inhibition (pheromones)
what is true behaviour?

Question 12

demand characteristics

Answer 12

try to do what they think researchers want to see to please them
demand characteristics are cues in experiment that convey hypothesis

Question 13

Milgram experiment

Answer 13

participants willing to kill when following commands from perceived authority figure but many problems (demand characteristics, artificiality, representativeness)

Question 14

representativeness

Answer 14

research predominantly on male while North-American psychology undergraduates (WEIRD) - not representative of humanity
doubtful whether results can be reproduced in other populations

Question 15

artificiality

Answer 15

bizarre tasks in research labs not representative of real life situations
result of reducitonist approach
also applies to animals!
can try field study without being noticed

Question 16

descriptive methods

Question 17

naturalistic observation

Question 18

Hawthorne effect & experiment

Answer 18

several workplace conditions manipulated but productivity increased as long as observed, regardless of light, pay, etc

Question 19

reactivity

Answer 19

change of behaviour when know observed

Question 20

experimenter expectancy effect & experiment

Answer 20

students told to train rats that are either genetically good or bad at running mazes, bias of experimenter changes outcome (give off cues based on expectation that affect behaviour)

Question 21

response bias

Answer 21

tendency for participants to respond innaccurately to self-report questions
not passive, actively integrate multiple sources of information to generate response in given situation

Question 22

correlation & correlation studies

Answer 22

describe & predict relationship between variables, not causal

Question 23

directionality problem

Answer 23

direction of causation in correlational study ambiguous

Question 24

positive correlation

Answer 24

variables move in same direction

Question 25

negative correlation

Answer 25

inverse relationship

Question 26

zero correlation

Answer 26

not predctably related

Question 27

third variable

Answer 27

correlation may be due to third, unmeasured, variable

Question 28

experimental method

Answer 28

test prediction based on hypothesis interested in explanations (C&E) manipulate variable(s) while maintaining ceteris paribus

Question 29

experimental gorup

Answer 29

treatment level of IV

Question 30

control group

Answer 30

receive no/unrelated treatment comparison level of IV

Question 31

confound(ing variable)

Answer 31

anything affecting DC that varies unintentionally caries between IVs eg age, experience

Question 32

internal validity

Answer 32

quality of experiment: if observed effects are due to IV and not confounds

Question 33

external validity

Answer 33

degree to which results can be generalised (tricky balance with internal validity)

Question 34

descriptive statistics

Answer 34

measurements -> series of data points - distribution/spread of data

Question 35

frequency distribution

Answer 35

number of data points in each bin

Question 36

central tendency

Answer 36

number which best represents distribution but which one depends on shape

Question 37

mode

Answer 37

most often

Question 38

median

Answer 38

50% above, 50% below

Question 39

mean

Answer 39

sum & divide

Question 40

normal distribution

Answer 40

symmetrical bell curve, most variables in nature approximate mode=median=mean large sample needed for good Gaussian distribution

Question 41

variability

Answer 41

how much data points vary from each other & mean, how wide the spread how well central tendency describes distribution

Question 42

standard deviation

Answer 42

average distance of data points from mean 68% in 1 SD 95.5% in 2 SDs 99.7% in 3 SDs

Question 43

logical empiricism

Answer 43

science rests on objective empirical observations that are independent of observer and theory

Question 44

statistical significance

Answer 44

is difference meaningful enough to attribute to treatment? (dif between groups bigger than can be expected by chance) null hypothesis H0 - no difference (try to reject using T-test) experimental hypothesis H1

Question 45

empirical structuralism

Answer 45

external validity does not exist observations only valid within its specific context and theoretical framework you approach it with argument against positivism (observations are objectively true) realm of applicability of theory expands as you continue testing