Methods
& Ethics
1.2
My Questions: Methods & Ethics
 Describe two methods used by psychologists when
studying the behavior of people or animals.
 What is the difference between the observer effect
and observer bias?
 What is the difference between correlation and
causation?
 Why do many psychologists argue that
experimentation on animals is necessary?
Methods Used To Study Behavior
 The best way to observe human and animal behavior
is by watching them behave in their normal
environment. This research strategy is called
naturalistic observation.
 Researchers might observe people at work, home or
even on the playground.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Why
do psychologists sometimes
use one-way mirrors to
observe the behaviors of
people?
Jane Goodall
 Jane Goodall, now 78, became the foremost expert
on chimpanzees by partaking in naturalistic
observation in the apes’ environment.
 Video Clip:
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/specials
/in-the-field-specials/jane-goodall-retrospective/
 Food for Thought during the video clip: What might
be a problem with Jane Goodall’s research methods?
Problems with Naturalistic Observations
 The Observer Effect: People may behave
differently when they know they are being watched.
 The Observer Bias: When the researcher or
observer tends to see what they want to see
 Also, conditions are usually unique to the time and
place. Example: How would you act differently at
your friend’s house if it was the first day of summer
vacation? Or if your pet just died?
Other Research Methods
 Laboratory Method: A method of conducting
research in a controlled environment.
 Case Study: A study of one individual, usually over
a long period of time that results in great detail.
 Survey Method: A method of conducting research
in the form of interviews.
Advantages & Disadvantages of the Survey Method
 Advantages: 1) Find out about private behavior, 2)
can be conducted on the telephone or over the
internet, and 3) can quickly research hundreds of
people
 Disadvantages: 1) People can lie, and 2) survey
results can be skewed if the wrong people are
interviewed.
Correlation Method
 Correlation Method: Method that measures the
relationships between two variables.
 A variable is anything that can change like the
temperature, test grades, or how many glasses of
Pepsi you drink.
 One prime example of the correlation method is how
scientists have linked cigarette smoking to life
expectancy. They have found through medical
records that the more cigarettes smoked by a person
the number of years lived on average declined.
Correlation Does Not Equal Causation!
 Researchers cannot just assume that because there is
a correlation between two variables that it is the
cause for what is occurring.
 For instance, researchers in the past when studying
crime found that when ice cream sales rose so did
violent crime. Therefore, they claimed incorrectly
that increased ice cream consumption caused more
violence.
 Can you explain this correlation between ice cream
and violence?
Experimental Method
 Experimental Method: Method in which
researchers change or manipulate the variable that is
causing some behavior to determine some causeeffect relationship.
 Example: Drinking pop at lunch causes students to
be hyper after lunch.
Experimental Method Continued
 The independent variable in an experiment is the
variable that is changed or manipulated, like the
number of pops students drink.
 The dependent variable in an experiment is the
response of the individuals to the independent
variable, in this case students became less hyper
after drinking less pop.
Experiments with Animals
 Performing experiments on animals is controversial,
but many researchers would argue that it is essential.
 Animals are used in dangerous experiments so that
humans do not have to suffer bad side-effects.
 However, experimentation on animals has led to
knowledge of the cancerous effects of tobacco,
vaccines for deadly diseases, and the successful
development of transplant procedures.
 Food for Thought: Do you think animals should be
used in experiments?
Ethical Guidelines for Research on Humans
 To make sure that ethical standards are maintained
during experiments with humans, psychologists at a
minimum must follow these guidelines:
 1) Humanitarian: Rights and well-being of
participants must be weighed against the study’s
value to science. In other words, people come first,
research second.
 2) Informed Consent: Participants must be
allowed to make informed decisions about their
participation. Researchers must inform the
participants what the study is for.
Ethical Guidelines Continued
 3) Justification: In cases where deception is
necessary, deception must be justified and
participants must be told after the study why the
deception was needed.
 4) Right to Withdraw: Participants can withdraw
at any time for any reason.
 5) Risks: Participants must be protected from risks
or told about risks.
Ethical Guidelines Continued
 6) Debriefing: Investigators must debrief
participants, telling the true nature of the study and
expectations of results.
 7) Confidentiality: Data must remain confidential
so that it cannot be traced back to a single individual.