EXPERIMENTAL
PSYCHOLOGY:
History and Methods
Experimental Psych
OVERVIEW
Experimental Psychology
utilizes SCIENTIFIC
METHODS to answer
questions by researching
the mind and behavior.
OVERVIEW
Experimental
Psychologists CONDUCT
EXPERIMENTS about
why people do certain
things.
OVERVIEW
Experimental methods
allow researchers to
CREATE and
EMPIRICALLY TEST
HYPOTHESES.
OVERVIEW
Researchers can also
DEVELOP THEORIES
that enable them to
DESCRIBE, EXPLAIN,
PREDICT, and EVEN
CHANGE human
behaviors.
METHODS USED
EXPERIMENTS
Determine if there is a
CAUSE-AND-EFFECT
RELATIONSHIP
between different
VARIABLES
METHODS USED
EXPERIMENTS
RANDOMLY
ASSIGNING participants
to groups
METHODS USED
EXPERIMENTS
OPERATIONALLY
DEFINING variables
DEVELOPING a
HYPOTHESIS
METHODS USED
EXPERIMENTS
MANIPULATING the
INDEPENDENT
VARIABLE
MEASURING the
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
METHODS USED
EXPERIMENTS
Example: Conducting a
study to find out if sleep
deprivation impairs
performance on a driving
test
METHODS USED
CASE STUDIES
Allow researchers to
STUDY a SINGLE
individual or a GROUP of
people in GREAT
DEPTH
METHODS USED
CASE STUDIES
Researcher collects
EVERY SINGLE PIECE
of DATA possible
about the subject.
METHODS USED
CASE STUDIES
DETAILED INFO
about the individual’s
BACKGROUND are
collected.
METHODS USED
CASE STUDIES
Such studies are often
performed in instances
where
EXPERIMENTATION is
NOT POSSIBLE.
METHODS USED
CASE STUDIES
Example: A scientist might
conduct a case study when
the person of interest has
had a unique or rare
experience that could not
be replicated in a lab.
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
Makes it possible for
researchers to look at
RELATIONSHIPS
between different
variables
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
Golden rule:
CORRELATION DOES
NOT EQUAL
CAUSATION
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
A CORRELATION
COEFFICIENT measures
the strength of the
relationship between
two variables.
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
POSITIVE
CORRELATION: as one
variable increases, the
other does, too.
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
(+) CORRELATION:
The more years of
education a person
receives, the higher his
yearly income.
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
NEGATIVE
CORRELATION: as one
variable increases, the
other one decreases.
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
(-) CORRELATION: The
more hours a student
works during the week,
the fewer A’s he gets in
class.
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
The HIGHER the
correlation coefficient,
the STRONGER the
correlation.
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
The LOWER the
correlation coefficient,
the WEAKER the
correlation.
METHODS USED
CORRELATIONAL
RESEARCH
A correlation of ZERO
means that NO
RELATIONSHIP exists.
METHODS USED
NATURALISTIC
OBSERVATION
Gives researchers the
OPPORTUNITY to
OBSERVE people in
their NATURAL
environments
METHODS USED
NATURALISTIC
OBSERVATION
Can be particularly useful
in cases where the
investigators believe that a
lab setting might have an
undue influence on
participant behaviors
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
WILHELM WUNDT
(1874) published the first
experimental psychology
textbook Principles of
Physiological Psychology.
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
WILLIAM JAMES
(1875) opened a
PSYCHOLOGY LAB in
the United States
The lab was created for class
demonstrations, rather than to perform
original experimental research.
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
WILHELM WUNDT
(1879) the FIRST
EXPERIMENTAL
PSYCHOLOGY LAB was
founded in Leipzig,
Germany
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
G. STANLEY HALL
(1883) opened the FIRST
EXPERIMENTAL
PSYCHOLOGY LAB in
the United States at John
Hopkins University
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
HERMANN
EBBINGHAUS
(1885) published his
famous Über das
Gedächtnis “ON
MEMORY”
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
HERMANN
EBBINGHAUS
(1885) In the work, he
described his LEARNING
and MEMORY
EXPERIMENTS which he
conducted on himself.
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
GEORGE TRUBALL
LADD
(1887) published his
textbook Elements of
Physiological Psychology
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
GEORGE TRUBALL
LADD
(1887) Elements of
Physiological Psychology:
first American book to
include a significant amount
of info on experimental Ψ
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
JAMES MCKEEN
CATTELL
(1887) established the
rd
WORLD’s 3
EXPERIMENTAL
PSYCHOLOGY LAB at
University of Pennsylvania
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
WILLIAM JAMES
(1890) published his
classic textbook The
Principles of Psychology
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
MARY WHITON
CALKINS
(1891) established an
EXPERIMENTAL
PSYCHOLOGY LAB at
Wellesley College
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
MARY WHITON
CALKINS
(1891) the FIRST
WOMAN to form a
psychology lab
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
G. STANLEY HALL
(1893) founded the
AMERICAN
PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION, the largest
professional and scientific organization
of psychologists in the United States
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
JOHN B. WATSON &
ROSALIE RAYNER
(1920) conducted their
now famous LITTLE
ALBERT experiment
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
JOHN B. WATSON &
ROSALIE RAYNER
(1920) LITTLE ALBERT
experiment: demonstrated
that emotional reactions
could be classically
conditioned in people
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
EDWIN BORING
(1929) published his book A
History of Experimental
Psychology.
He was an influential experimental
psychologist who was devoted to the
use of experimental methods in
psychological research.
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
LEE CRONBACH
(1955) published Construct
Validity in Psychological
Tests, which popularized
the use of construct validity
in psychological studies
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
HARRY HARLOW
(1958) published The
Nature of Love, which
described his experiments
with rhesus monkeys on
ATTACHMENT & LOVE
HISTORY of EXP. ψ
ALBERT BANDURA
(1961) conducted his now
famous Bobo Doll
experiments, which
demonstrated the effects of
observation on aggressive
behavior
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
INFORMED CONSENT
Participation in a study
must be VOLUNTARY, and
participants must FULLY
UNDERSTAND the nature
of their involvement.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
INFORMED CONSENT
They need to know the
AIMS of the study, what
TASKS they will be
exposed to and how the
DATA will be used.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
INFORMED CONSENT
Researchers should
PROVIDE AS MUCH
INFORMATION as
possible and in the
clearest possible way.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
DEBRIEFING
After the study,
participants must be fully
informed about its nature,
its TRUE AIMS, how the
DATA will be USED and
STORED.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
DEBRIEFING
They must be given an
OPPORTUNITY to
REVIEW their RESULTS
and WITHDRAW the
DATA if they want to.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
DEBRIEFING
IF DECEPTION WAS
USED, IT MUST BE
REVEALED.
Care must be taken to
protect participants from
any possible harm.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
ANONYMITY and
CONFIDENTIALITY
Participation in a research
study is CONFIDENTIAL if
there is someone who can
connect the results of the
study to the identity of a
particular participant.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
ANONYMITY and
CONFIDENTIALITY
Participants provide
personal data, but the data
stays confidential under the
research agreement.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
ANONYMITY and
CONFIDENTIALITY
Participation is
ANONYMOUS if no one can
trace the results back to a
participant’s identity because
no personal details have been
provided.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
ANONYMITY and
CONFIDENTIALITY
An example of anonymity
would be filling out an
online survey without
providing your name.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
DECEPTION
In many cases, the true
aims of the study cannot be
revealed to the participants
because it would change
their behavior.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
DECEPTION
A degree of deception
needs to be used.
In some research
methods, deception is
part of the process.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
DECEPTION
Researchers must be
careful and if deception is
used, it must be kept to
the NECESSARY
MINIMUM.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
WITHDRAWAL FROM
PARTICIPATION
It must be made known to
participants that because their
participation is voluntary, they
are FREE TO WITHDRAW
FROM THE STUDY AT ANY
TIME THEY WANT.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
WITHDRAWAL FROM
PARTICIPATION
Researchers must not
prevent participants from
withdrawing or try to
convince them to stay.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
PROTECTION FROM
HARM
At all times during the
study, participants must be
PROTECTED from
PHYSICAL and MENTAL
HARM.
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
CONDUCTING A RESEARCH
PROTECTION FROM
HARM
This includes possible
negative long-term
consequences of
participating in a research
study.
APPLICATIONS of EXP. ψ
Developmental
Psychologists use
experimental methods to
study how people grow
through childhood and over
the course of a lifetime.
APPLICATIONS of EXP. ψ
Social Psychologists
utilize experimental
techniques to study how
people are influenced by
groups.
APPLICATIONS of EXP. ψ
Health Psychologists rely
on experimentation and
research to better
understand the factors
that contribute to wellness
and disease.
Sources:
•https://www.verywellmind.com/
what-is-experimental-psychology2795784
•http://www.sparknotes.com/psyc
hology/psych101/researchmetho
ds/section3/