Psychology Chapter 1 Study Guide

Psychology
Meyers 10th Edition
2013
ISBN
9781464108556

Psych 101
Study Guide for Exam 1

Prologue, Chapter 1, Appendix A

Definition of “Psychology”(p. 6)

Psychology is a discipline that uses the scientific method to study the behavior of people and other living things. Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes (p. 6). The scientific method (text pgs. 24-25) is used by psychologists to study people’s mental processes. (FROM SLIDE)

Scientific method in Psychology

Laboratory vs. Field research

Psychologists design experiments to be conducted in

(a) Laboratories: including animal labs, sleep labs, child observation labs, etc. OR

(b)The Field: refers to gathering data in real world settings – schools, playgrounds, nurseries, or work sites, etc.

Case study (p. 25)

Involves the in-depth study of an individual.

Often suggests hypotheses for further study.

Not objective.

No cause-effect determinations can be made.

Survey method (p.28)

Questionnaires can assess many aspects of mental processes and behavior.

Two major types are:

1. Forced Choice – respondent must choose a response from the list provided whether or not they find one that is exactly right for them.

2. Open-ended – respondent writes or speaks their response. Later, a trained evaluator must “code” the responses.

Wording effects are a concern on surveys.
An item worded “Do you approve of home schooling children ages 9, 10, 11, or 12?”

Should actually be broken into two separate questions, “Do you approve of home schooling?” Yes No If Yes, place a check beside each of the following ages you believe could be home schooled: ____ 9 ____ 10 ____ 11 ____ 12

A random sample: is a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion. Random sampling is the best technique for gathering survey data.

Large representative samples are better than small ones. A random sample is a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion.
Large representative samples are better than small ones.

Naturalistic observation Random Sampling (p. 26)

Is….watching and recording behaviors of humans or animals in their natural environments
Unobtrusive – means that the researcher doing the observing is out-of-sight of the Participants (Ps).

Participant observation – means that the researcher is interacting with the Ps while recording their behaviors.

Correlational study (p. 29)

These studies involve measuring the extent to which two factors (called variables) change together
A goal of a correlational study is to determine the degree of relationship between the two variables and then determine how well either variable predicts the other.

These studies allow researchers to investigate topics that would not be possible to investigate with experiments due to ethical concerns.

Possible correlational studies:

The more sexual content pre-teens see (on TV in movies or DVDs) the more likely they are to become sexually active.
The more time a TV is on in the homes of young children, the less time they spend playing outside.

Correlation coefficient: r (can range from -1.00 to +1.00);

Sign (+ or -) indicates the direction of relationship;

Strength is indicated by the absolute value of the number with higher numbers indicating stronger relationships between variables.

Types of correlation:

No correlation: Any values close to 0 indicate no correlation.

Direct (positive) correlation: If two variables change together in the same direction, they are positively correlated. (+)

Inverse (negative) correlation: If two variables change in the opposite direction, they are negatively correlated

When a factor, other than the two correlated variables, is identified as a possible causal factor, it is termed the “3rd variable” or an “extraneous variable”.

*****************Correlation does not imply causation*******************

Experiment (p.33)

Experiment – the preferred method of data collection for establishing Cause-Effect

Uses random assignment of participants to treatment vs. control group

Independent variable (IV): An independent variable (IV) is manipulated by the researcher (p. 33)

Dependent variable (DV): is the variable measured by the researcher to see what effect the IV had (p. 33)

Experimental group: in an experiment, the group that is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable.

Control group: in an experiment, the group that is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment. (p. 33)

Placebo : experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent. (p. 33)

Double blind design: an experimental procedure in which both the research participants and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the research participants have received the treatment or a placebo. Commonly used in drug-evaluation studies. (p. 33)

Confounding variable(s) also known as Extraneous variables: a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment. (p. 34)

Debriefing: the postexperimental explanation of a study, including its purpose and any deceptions, to its participants. (p. 43)

Replication of research results: repeating the essence of a research study, usually with different participants in different situations, to see whether the basic finding extends to other participants and circumstances. (p. 25)

For each of the different methods (case study, naturalistic observation, correlational study, experiment), be able to cite the advantages and disadvantages for gathering psychological data.

Method
Advantages
Disadvantages

Case Study

One subject
Low cost
Can give insight/information
Can lead to hypothesis/experiment

Subject atypical
No control of variables
Lead to wrong info
Mistaken judgments
False conclusions

Naturalistic Observation

Correlational Study
Helps describe behavior
No study set up
Simple
Easy to do helps us figure how closely two things vary together, and thus how well either one predicts the other
Shows association

No hard facts learned no informed consent
Sample could be bias
No control of variables

No cause/effect specified
Only shows association
Could be a 3rd variable

Experiment
Able to manipulate variables
Cause and effect linked
Random assignment
Control outside variables
Repeatable

Expensive
Time
Informed consent
Placebo effect
Cannot generalize
Ethical concerns

Essay Guidelines

What issue(s) should a experimenter consider when selecting/recruiting participants for a psychological research study?

For an experiment to be valid, selecting the subjects is very important. The subjects recruited should be representative of the population you want to study. There should be as many as possible/practical to provide a reliable and diverse sample. The subjects should be randomly representative of the population being studied in terms of race, sex, age, socioeconomic status, ect. They should be informed about the study and have the ability to consent to participation. These are all important points in selecting a psychological research subject group.

Given a description of an experiment, be able to identify the IV(s), DV(s), experimental group(s), control group, and any other variables that should be controlled (i.e., extraneous variables).

In an experiment the Independent Variable (IV) is manipulated by the researcher and the Dependent variable (DV): is the variable measured by the researcher to see what effect the IV had. The experimental group is exposed to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable. The control group is not exposed to the treatment; contrasts with the experimental group and serves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment. It is also important to watch for confounding variable or a factor other than the independent variable that might produce an effect in an experiment.

Be able to distinguish between types of practicing psychologists – clinical, counseling, developmental, experimental, forensic, school, industrial/organizational, etc. Know the typical type of research study they might undertake and/or the clients they would assist. For example, a developmental psychologist might study differences in children’s achievement of reading skill as a function of their age.

Practicing psychologists do many different types of work. A Clinical psychologist studies, and treats people with psychological disorders. They might studyhow a psychiatric disorder responds to drug treatment. Clinical Psychologists assists people with problems in living (often related to school, work, or marriage) and in achieving greater well-being. A Counseling psychologist might study children who skip school to see if belonging to a running club would make them more likely to come to school. Developmental Psychologists examine how we grow and develop especially in childhood. They might study to see if eating only vegetables in the first three years of life would make kids have a higher IQ. School psychologists work with students to help them with learning and educational issues. They might test kids to see if they have learning disabilities. They could study early head injuries to see if they are related to later learning disabilities. Industrial psychologists work for companies and their workers. The industrial psychologist could study depression in people who work with chemicals. There are many different type of work being done by psychologists