Scientific Research/Methods

1
Chapter 2

• Scientific Research/Methods

2
Scientific Methods

• How do we learn about human behavior?
• What is science?
• How do we do science?
• Where does basic psychological information come
  from?
• How is basic psychological knowledge applied
  scientifically?

3
Scientific Methods

• Science is the use of systematic observation of
  phenomena in an effort to detect orderly
  relationships (laws) governing interrelationships
  of variables. It involves description as its
  most simple tool and experimentation as its most
  complex tool.

4
Scientific Methods

• Descriptive methods include
• Survey method the use of interviews and
  questionnaires in studying human behavior
• Naturalistic observation involves the careful
  observation and recording of behavior in
  real-life settings
• Clinical method observation of people while a
  psychologist is helping them with a problem

5
Scientific Methods

• Correlational methods the examination of the
  quantitative relationships between two or more
  variables
• how does one behavior relate to the occurrence of
  another behavior?
• if we know one behaviors pattern can we then, in
  turn, predict the pattern of occurrence of
  another behavior?

6
Scientific Methods

• Formal Experiments deliberately determining the
  cause-effect relationships between two or more
  variables
• correlation methods preclude establishing
  cause-effect relationships formal experiments
  will determine precise cause-effect relationships
  between variables
• there are many experimental designs that
  psychologists use

7
Scientific Methods

• Ethical Principles of research with human
  subjects
• freedom from coercion
• informed consent
• guidelines for deception of subjects and
  debriefing after experiments
• confidentiality

8
Scientific Methods

• Ethical principles of research with animal
  subjects
• only use animals when it is necessary
• maintain the health of animals in experiments and
  animal compounds
• humane treatment of animals is absolutely
  important no animal should be sacrificed unless
  data critical to helping humans

9
What we know about human behavior

• Human beings are biological creatures.
• Each person is different, yet much the same.
• People can be understood only in the context of
  their culture, ethnic identity, and gender
  identity.
• Human lives are a continual process of change.
• Human behavior is motivated.

10
What we know about human behavior

• Humans are social animals.
• People play an active part in creating their
  experiences.
• Behavior has multiple causes.
• Behavior can be adaptive or maladaptive.
• Human behavior and mental processes can be
  studied by the scientific method.

11
Application of Psychology

• Psychology applied to your own study skills
• Good study techniques include
• spacing out your study time dont cram
• study in the same place all the time
• use mneumonic (memory) devices to help you retain
  information learned