Experimental Psychology
Introduction
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
1
Purpose of this course
• Learn experimental methodology
• Gain experience doing research
• Why?
– better understanding of Psychology
– any area of graduate work
– learn how to answer questions
– understand and critique journal articles
– employable skills
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
2
Knowing
• College should teach you:
– to think
– to evaluate
– to find your own answers
– to distinguish opinion from theory from fact
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
3
Ways of knowing
• Intuition and Common sense
Practical judgment and experience
How can experience go wrong?
• Method of Tenacity
Rumors - repetition enhances validity
Ignore contradictory evidence
• Method of Authority
Government, Professionals, Textbooks
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
4
Knowing Continued
What about conflicting authorities?
Authorities that lie?
How do you decide?
• Magic
Knowledge and Control
imitative magic
contagious magic
The roots of science - alchemy
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
5
Science as a path to knowledge
• Objectivity
Not dependent on beliefs and perceptions of individuals
• Empirical
Data is gathered to support ideas
• Self Correcting
Reproducibility - replication needed for error correction
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
6
Scientific Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
Observed facts are used to generate hypotheses or
theories
• Deductive Reasoning
Specific implications are derived from a theory
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
7
Goals of Science
• Description of behavior
• Prediction of behavior
• Determining causes of behavior
• Explaining behavior
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
8
Six Basic Steps in Science
• The problem (issue to be investigated)
• Testable hypothesis (or hypotheses)
• Definition of terms
• Gather data
• Analyze data
• Draw conclusions
© 2001 Laura Snodgrass, Ph.D.
9