Chapter 2 Research

Psychology is a Social Science

• Hypotheses, observation, testing, and experimentation are used. SAME as science

• Exceptions to a generalization do not necessarily negate the hypothesis. Human behavior is complex. DIFFERENT

Research Terms• Experiment: a specific type of scientific

study used to determine if one variable has a casual effect upon another variable.

• Placebo: a medicine with no active ingredients works by the power of suggestion.

• Thesis: statement or question to study. Looks at psychological principle

• Hypothesis: a statement of the results that the experimenter expects. Prediction

Example

• Thesis question: Is yawning contagious?

• Hypothesis: If one person yawns in class, then others will repeat this behavior

Variables: factors that change in an experiment.

Independent Variable: the factor the researcher changes or varies in a study. (If)

Dependent Variable: the factor that will change as a result of what the other factor does. (Then)

• Independent Variable: Yawn prompt

• Dependent Variable: other’s behavior (yawn or no yawn)

Experimental group: the group on which the critical part (variable introduced) of the experiment is performed.

Control group: the group that does not participate (no variable) in the critical part of the experiment.

• Control Group:

Classroom with no

yawn

prompt

• Experimental Group:

Classroom

with yawn prompt

Methods of Research (p.41)

Laboratory study

Field study

Survey method

Naturalistic

observation

Interview

Case study

Psychological test

Longitudinal

Cross-sectional

Experiment: Bi-lateral Transfer