Goals – Psychological Methods – Students
will:
1. Learn how the scientific method applies to
psychology.
2. Spend time discussing experiment
proposals.

Crash Course – Intro to Psychology
◦ http://viewpure.com/vo4pMVb0R6M

http://viewpure.com/hFV71QPvX2I
 Three
Major Types of Research
◦Surveys, Samples, and
Population
People respond to a series of
questions about a particular
subject.
◦ Observational Techniques
◦ Testing Method – using psychological testing to
learn about human behavior.
 Case-study Method – an in-depth investigation of an
individual or small-group to generalized broader
principals that apply to a larger population.
 Longitudinal – study individual or group over a long
period of time.
 Cross-sectional – study of a set of individuals over a
number of years to compare the behavior of
participants in different age groups.
◦ Naturalistic-observation method
– to observe the subjects in their
natural environment.
◦ Laboratory-observation method
– to observe the subjects in the
laboratory environment.

Correlation – method to measure how closely
one thing is related to another.
◦ Positive correlation – when both variables move in
the same direction.
◦ Negative correlation – when both variables move in
different directions.

Experimental Method – method researchers
use to measure cause and effect.
◦ Variables – factors in experiments that can vary or
change.
 Independent variable – factor that researchers
manipulate to determine effect.
 Dependent variable – depends on the independent
variable
 E.g., warm temps. cause aggression in humans –
temperature is the independent variable and the level of
aggression is the dependent variable.





Experimental group – the group that receives the
treatment (regular medication or temp. increase).
Control group – control group does not receive
the treatment.
Placebo – a substance or treatment that has no
effect apart from what the individual believes it
does.
Single-blind study – participants do not know
whether they are receiving the treatment or not.
Double-blind study – neither participants or
researchers know who is receiving the treatment.

Read Chapter 2