The Central Question of Psychology

Question 1

Central Question of Psych

Answer 1

> Why do people think, feel, and act the way they do?

Question 2

Psychology

Answer 2

> scientific study of behavior and mental process
uses empirical methods
therapy needed if “it” interfere w/normal activity

Question 3

Empirical Methods

Answer 3

> use of direct observation & measurement to answer questions
science is self correcting

Question 4

Clinical vs. Experimental Psych

Answer 4

> clinical- therapy, counseling

>experimental- research human thoughts/behaviors

Question 5

Empirical Questions

Answer 5

> questions can be answered using observations of scientific method
ex. Are women smarter than men?
Who is the tallest person on Earth?

Question 6

What is the Prozac case an example of?

Answer 6

> general principles or findings are not invalidated by individual cases

Question 7

Origins of Psych

Answer 7

> psych is philosophy questions & physiology methods
Philosophy: big questions, early theories, traces of scientific thinking
Physiology (Biology): experimental methods

Question 8

Plato’s Ideas

Answer 8

> philosophers debated individual differences
believed people born with “god(s) given” differences
argued math/measurement can help understand nature

Question 9

Aristotle’s Ideas

Answer 9

> believed in Tabula Rasa (blank slate, colored by experiences)
suggested mind & body are not separate

Question 10

Rene Descartes

Answer 10

>believed in searching for truth
>questioned everything, needed proof
>"philosophy of doubt" part of scientific method
>focus: empiricism & experiences
>radical ideas got him in trouble

Question 11

Effect of Philosophy

Answer 11

>triggered important questions about human nature
>nature & location of mind?
> conciseness (functions?)
>brain & mind (related/work?)
>environment vs. innate abilities

Question 12

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 12

> Ph.D in Physiology
University of Leipzig
Founder of Psych

Question 13

Wundt’s Role in Psych

Answer 13

> 1879: Founded 1st lab of experimental psych
published 1st professional journal of psych
wrote numerous books
trained almost all 1st generation psychologists
BEFORE FREUD

Question 14

Why use experimentation?

Answer 14

> backbone of psych research

>isolate cause/effect

Question 15

Simple Experiment Conditions

Answer 15

> Experimental group
Control group/Conditional group
can have multiple groups/conditions

Question 16

*Independent Variable

Answer 16

> factor being manipulated
ex. Breastfeeding experiment
(IV is breast feeding)

Question 17

*Dependent Variable

Answer 17

> factor being measured (outcome)
usually behavior/mental process
ex. Breastfeeding experiment
(DV is intelligence)

Question 18

TV Show Aggression Experiment

experimental condition,control condition,IV,DV,result

Answer 18

> experimental condition: Power Rangers (aggressive)
control condition: Mr. Rogers (not aggressive)
IV: tv show
DV: level of aggression
result: 7x more aggressive, changed empathy if not more aggressive

Question 19

Experiment IV Effects Data Results

Answer 19

20% -> sorta effects
50% -> effects
100% -> definitely effects

Question 20

*Random Assignment

Answer 20

> randomly assign participants to experimental & control conditions
balances groups w/respect to uncontrollable variables

Question 21

*Replication

Answer 21

> if repeat experiment, get same pattern of results
confidence in experiment results
ex. Safety/effectiveness of drug treatments (check for side effects)

Question 22

CDC Class Experiment

Answer 22

> replication of Tversky and Kahneman

>found people respond to positive language in surveys

Question 23

Non-Experimental Methods

Answer 23

> have no cause/effect, result is a correlation
correlation (r) - strength of relationship between two variables
ex. Linear scatterplot of husband & wife ages

Question 24

Correlation of Height/Weight

Answer 24

> scatterplot shows strength of relationship
positive correlation- points up/right
negative correlation- points down/left (inverse relationship between x & y)
no correlation- points all over

Question 25

Correlation Coefficient (number of Correlation)

Answer 25

>ranges from -1 to 1 >if abs value is close, then its strong relationship >correlation does not prove causation, since no experiment done >NOT CAUSATION

Question 26

Why use correlation?

Answer 26

>for prediction & decision making >if unable to conduct experiment >ex. Zajonc tested family size vs. IQ >Family Resource Model- number of resources down with increase of kids

Question 27

Survey

Answer 27

>technique for asserting self-reported attitudes, opinions, or behaviors of people

Question 28

Survey Advantages

Answer 28

+only way is to ask (can't know through observation) | +collect lots of info (quick and cheap)

Question 29

Survey Potential Problems

Answer 29

>social desirability >wording effects >counter social desirability >people's preferences change based on wording

Question 30

Social Desirability

Answer 30

>people distort their answers to appear normal

Question 31

Wording Effect

Answer 31

>different interpretations of language change results | >ex. "on layoff" (fired vs. temp off work)

Question 32

How to Counter Social Desirability

Answer 32

>cross-check answers | >assure subjects are anonymous

Question 33

Sampling Error/Bias

Answer 33

>want a representative sample | >use random sampling

Question 34

Literary Digest Mistake

Answer 34

>1936 Presidential Election (Landon vs. Roosevelt) >magazine thought Landon would win by landslide >sampled telephone books & auto registrations >over polled Rep. voters (Roosevelt ended up winning)

Question 35

Summary of Non-Experimental Methods

Answer 35

``` >correlations/surveys describe behaviors +useful, informative, proactive +often good starting point +correlations aid in decision making -no cause or effect ```

Question 36

Subject Bias

Answer 36

>participants change behavior in non-natural ways >know too much about experiment >ex. Hawthorne phone factory (everything increased productivity)

Question 37

Research Pitfalls

Answer 37

>Experimenter Bias (Rosenthal Effect) | >Subject Bias (Hawthorne Effect)

Question 38

Experimenter Bias

Answer 38

>Rosenthal Effect- becomes self fulfilling hypothesis >ex. "Bright Rats" vs. Reg Rats Bias teachers to student success Teacher behavior after video

Question 39

Prevention of Bias

Answer 39

>Single-blind procedure >Double-blind procedure >both use deception (cover story)

Question 40

Single-blind Procedure

Answer 40

>subject doesn't know elements at play >ex. Asch's "perceptual judgement" test (actually studying conformity) >confederates- people who work discretely with experimenter during test

Question 41

Double-blind Procedure

Answer 41

>only experimenter knows elements at play | >volunteers/data collectors do not know elements

Question 42

Spontaneous Remission

Answer 42

>person's symptoms temp go away >ex. Lukemia, sickle-cell, mult. sclerosis >linked w/Placebo effect

Question 43

Placebo Effect

Answer 43

>people actually get fake drug and feel better >treatment doesn't do anything in reality >used in drug tests >ex. Patients even "Morphine" (70% felt better after placebo drug)