Introduction to Behavioral
Science
Unit 1
I.
Social Sciences

The study of society and the activities and
relationships of individuals and groups within
society.
All subject matter is approached by a
scientific approach

II.
Social Studies

Courses of instruction in an elementary or
secondary school, encompassing social
sciences such as



Geography
History
Political sciences
III. Behavioral Sciences


They must deal with humans directly
Animals are sometimes used for studying
purposes
Three types of Behavioral Sciences

Psychology – studies of behavior or the individual
(personality, learning, etc.).
Sociology – studies the behavior of man in groups.
Focuses on:
1.
2.


3.
How and why groups develop.
The mores and folkways that govern them

Mores – formal, written rules or laws

Folkways – informal, accepted ways of doing things
Anthropology – Studies behavior within a culture
(culture-knowledge, beliefs, values, customs, etc.)
that are learned.
Types of Research Methods
 Experimental
– A research method designed to answer questions about cause and
effect
– Its main advantage over other data gathering methods is that it
permits the researcher to control conditions, etc.
 Sample Survey – Take a sample of a group that you are
studying and survey them
 Case Study – Intensive study (in-depth) of a single person
or group
 Natural Observation
– You analyze a situation without getting involved (researcher stays
out of the way
– Also referred to as Field Study
– Most of the time the participants don’t know they are being watched
Types of Research (cont’d)
 Participant Observation – you join an existing
group. (researcher actually gets involved)
– Joins the military
– Joins a cult
 All research must be Both valid and reliable
– Valid – Does the research measure what it’s suppose to
measure
– Reliable – The research must yield reasonably
consistent results
Types of Research Methods
(Continued)
 Lets suppose we as a class wanted to do an
experiment, how might we set the
experiment up?
– Experimental group – Those subjects
experiencing the experimental condition
– Control group – Same as above but this group
experiences the key factor the Psychologist (or
any other social scientist) is evaluating.
Scientific Method (Approach)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
State the problem
Hypothesize
Gather empirical data
Interpret the data, test your hypotheses
Evaluate and conclude
Requirements of the Scientific
Method
1.
2.
3.
4.
Procedures must be public
Definitions must be clear and precise
Collection of data must be objective
Findings must be reproducible
Spirit of Science
In order to practice the spirit of science, one must be
prejudice free, devoted to critical thinking,
curious, and seeking truth
Science
 Goals of Science
– Describe behavior (ex. Jane was throwing food in the
cafeteria)
– Explain behavior (understand)
 A behavioral scientist seeks to explain this behavior in the form
of a hypothesis
 Studies would have to be done to test the hypothesis.
– Predict behavior – behavioral scientists would predict:
 Would the behavior continue
 Is this the natural behavior
– Change Behavior (control) – behavioral scientists would
try to:
 Control the behavior
 Influence and change behavior
Science
 Advantages of Science
– Science can correct mistakes
– Build on previous discoveries
 Key assumptions of science
– Operationalism
 Objective and accurate measurement of variables
– Determinism
 Any event can be explained by casual laws
 There is reasons/causes for everything
– Invariance
 Laws do not change
Science
 Common Misconceptions about science
– “Science is the same as statistics.” (although statistics
can be a useful tool, they are not the same as science)
– “Science is synonymous with technology.” Science may
use technology, but it is not technology itself.
 Research ethics
–
–
–
–
–
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Is the researcher biased?
Does/can the subjects know they are being studied?
Are the Subjects safe?
Is the knowledge misused?
Is the research on humans/animals ethical?
Should some topics not be studied?
Psychologist vs. Psychiatrist
 Psychologist
–
–
–
–
–
–
5 yrs. B.S. psychology
2 yrs. Masters in psychology
4 yrs. PhD psychology
6 yrs supervised training before individual works alone with patients
10 yrs training
Can’t give medicine
 Psychiatrist
–
–
–
–
–
5 yrs. B.S. Pre Med
4 yrs. Med School
3 yrs. Residency – have patient load
11 yrs. Training
Can prescribe medicine
In Class Assignment

You are now going to go through a make believe
research project (I want to see if you understand
the Research Method)
–
–
Pick a behavior that you see here at school that would
be good to explain
Put this idea into the Scientific Method for a fictitious
study
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the purpose of the study
What is your hypothesis
What type of research would you use for this study
What data do you think you would come up with
What do you think your conclusion would be