Methods of Psychology

Psychologists use The
Scientific Method

▪ 1. Ask a Question

▪ 2. Form a Hypothesis

▪ 3. Test the Hypothesis

▪ Test ideally is able to be repeated.

▪ 4. Analyze Data

▪ 5. Form a Conclusion

▪ 6. Repeat steps 2-6

Reorder

Reorder the following steps in the Scientific Process:

• Ask a Question

• Form a Hypothesis

• Test Hypothesis

• Analyze Data and Form a Conclusion

• Repeat

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Methods of psychology

1.

To describe human and animal behavior
and mental processes, psychologists
conduct:

●

1) Surveys

●

2) Case Studies

●

3) Observations (naturalistic / lab -
experiments)

Description

Survey

▪ Looks at many cases with less depth.
▪ Ask people to report their behaviors or

opinions.

▪ Market surveys
▪ Student satisfaction survey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK8uMgvWf8Q

Who do we survey?

▪ Usually question a representative, random

sample of people selected from a
population.

▪ Population

▪ all the cases in a group, from which samples may

be drawn for a study

▪ a sample that fairly represents a population ie: gender, race, age etc

participants are randomly chosen

▪ Representative and Random Sample

Match

Please match the following:

• a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, randomsample of the group

• a flawed sampling process that produces an unrepresentative sample

• A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

• a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

• a sample that accurately reflects the characteristics of the population as a whole

survey

sampling bias

population

random sample

representative sample

• survey

• sampling bias

• population

• random sample

• representative sample

Advantages

and

Disadvantages

Lots of info

Minimal effort,
time and money

Not always accurate

Info isn’t always
relevant

Pepsi Challenge

It can be easily
manipulated

Categorize

Options (6)

Quick

Easy

Low Cost

Not always relevant

Not always accurate

Can be manipulated

Organize these options into the right categories

Advantages

Disadvantages

Bad Questions??

Double Barreled question:

Please indicate how much you agree or
disagree with each of the following
statements about the childcare
program.

Incorrect: I feel welcomed by staff and
other youth at the center

Correction: I feel welcomed by staff at
the center.

I feel welcomed by other youth at the
center

Biased/leading questions

Which presentation that you went to
today will have the most impact on
your teaching?

Do you think Donald Trump’s travel
and speaking schedule makes him
look more like he is a candidate on
the campaign trail or more like he is
the president of the United States?

Double Negative

Incorrect: Does it seem possible or does
it seem impossible to you that the Nazi
extermination of the Jews never
happened?

Very possible

Possible

Impossible

Very impossible

Correct: Do you think that the
Holocaust actually happened or not?

Very possible

Possible

Impossible

Very impossible

http://www.criticalcommons.org/Memb
ers/BaileyNorwood/clips/a-biased-surve
y-question-on-parks-recreation/view

Leading Statements

President Trump speaks in a very

superior and _________ manner

insulting many people.

President Obama needs to be more

__________ so that the American

people respect and admire him.

Do you approve of how Joe Biden has
has made the United States a less safe
country since taking office?

Match

Match the BAD question with the TYPE of bad question.

• do you think that students should have more classes about history and culture?

• How amazing is our hard-working customer service team?

• Is the website not easy to use unless you use a search bar?

Double Barrelled Question

Leading Question

Double Negative Question

• Double Barrelled Question

• Leading Question

• Double Negative Question

Match

Match the term and definition

• Any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviors that are controlled or observed in a study.

• The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied.

• The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable.

variables

independent variable

dependent variable

• variables

• independent variable

• dependent variable

Description

Case Study

▪ observation technique in which one individual

(or a few incidences) are studied in depth in
the hope of revealing universal principles

▪ Advantages :

▪ In Depth information
▪ Can be over a long period of time
▪ Could be something that can’t be experimented

▪ Brain injury

▪ Suggest hypotheses for further studies

Problemswith Case Studies?

▪ Results are specific to one person or small group

and may not apply to all people

▪ Can be a slow process
▪ Researcher Bias
▪ Can’t be replicated

Open Ended

Please list three advantages AND three disadvantages of Case Studies (do not hit enter until you are ready to submit)

Observation/
Experimentation
Naturalistic Observation

▪ observing and recording behavior in naturally

occurring situations (or in more controlled
environments) without trying to manipulate and
control the situation

▪ Observing students in the lunchroom

▪ Problems?

▪ This describes behavior, but does not explain

behavior

Experiments

A valid experiment will:

1) isolate a variable to determine

its ability to cause an outcome

2) Have a clear Procedure

3) Be able to be replicated

Open Ended

Please list the three criteria for a valid experiment

Testing hypotheses using
operational definitions
▪ Operational Definition

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study

▪ Also enables other researchers to replicate
▪ example-
Hypothesis: Regular exercise improves overall happiness

in a person’s life.

Operationally Define:

Regular exercise
overall happiness

Variable Defined

▪ Any characteristic or attribute that varies in

amount and kind
▪ Gender
▪ Success
▪ Weight, Height
▪ Self-esteem
▪ Reaction time in a learning experiment
▪ Intelligence
▪ Achievement motivation

Types of Variables

Independent Variable

The Variable being manipulated that will
CAUSE the change in the dependent
variable

Dependent Variable

The variable that is the EFFECT of the
independent variable

Match

Match the definition to the correct term

• A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or more factors to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process

• a technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of a particular group, usually by questioning a representative, random sample of the group

• observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

• an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

• 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

experiment

survey

naturalistic observation

case study

replication

• experiment

• survey

• naturalistic observation

• case study

• replication

Fill in the Blank

a carefully worded statement of the exact procedures used in a research study