Psy 330
Kantowitz Ch. 1
Overview of Psychological Research

I. A CLASS EXPERIMENT

Reading & Counting--Are they rational, deliberate processes or are they automatic processes occurring with very little conscious effort?

Be able to address the following regarding this experiment:

Hypothesis:

Independent variable(s):

Dependent variable(s):

How many treatment groups? Name them.

Within-subjects or between-subjects design? Explain.

Regarding data analysis, what types of descriptive statistics should we use? inferential statistics?

 

What general conclusion can be made?

 


Figure 1.1  (p. 5)

 

II. MAKING SENSE OF THE WORLD

Conducting research--basic & applied


Evaluating research--must be a skilled critical thinker


What are the principles/characteristics of a good experiment?


Flawed research--confounding produces results with no internal validity

 

III. SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE

Unscientific ways of knowing  (methods of authority, tenacity, & a priori)

vs. Scientific way of knowing (a repeatable, self-correcting process that seeks to understand phenomena on the basis of empirical phenomena. Fixes belief on the basis of scientific method.

 

 

Non-Scientific (everyday)

Scientific

General Approach

intuitive

empirical

Observation

casual, uncontrolled

systematic, controlled

Reporting

biased, subjective

unbiased, objective

Concepts

ambiguous, surplus meaning

clear definitions, operational specificity

Instruments

inaccurate, imprecise

accurate, precise

Measurement

not valid or reliable

valid and reliable

Hypotheses

untestable

testable (must be!)

Attitude

uncritical, accepting

critical, skeptical

 

IV. THE NATURE OF THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION--public, empirical, self-correcting

What Is a Theory?

Induction and Deduction

From Theory to Hypothesis

Evaluating Theories--parsimonious? precise? testable? does it fit the data?

Intervening Variables--abstract concepts that link IVs to DVs

 

 

Glossary  
Chapter 1  
A priori method according to Peirce, a way of fixing belief according to the reasonableness of the event
Applied research research aimed at solving a practical problem
Basic research research aimed at increasing fundamental understanding
Deduction reasoning from the general to the particular
Determinism the philosophical belief that all events derive from causes
Diffusion of responsibility the tendency for individuals to assume less responsibility to act in a group situation
Empirical approach in contrast to the analytical approach, attempts to achieve predictive power on the basis of empirical regularities
Explanation statements that make a set of events intelligible
Falsifiability view the assertion by Popper that negative results of a test are more informative than positive results
Generalization formation of broad propositions derived from individual facts
Hypothesis a testable statement that offers a predicted relationship between dependent and independent variables
Induction reasoning from the particular to the general
Intervening variables abstract concepts that link independent variables to dependent variables
Method of authority a method of fixing belief in which an authority's word is taken on faith (contrast with Empirical)
Method of tenacity a method of fixing belief involving a steadfast adherence to a particular belief, regardless of contrary arguments or data (contrast with Empirical)
Observation the careful watching and recording of a phenomenon
Organization structures of existing knowledge; one characteristic of a good theory
Parsimony using the smallest number of statements in a theory
Precision the quality of being exactly specified
Prediction statement of a future outcome before data are collected
Problem a vague question that is too general to be tested without additional refinement; see Hypothesis
Scientific method the formulation and testing of hypotheses by systematic observation and experiment; the formulation and testing of theories by induction and deduction
Self-correcting a procedure that automatically detects and repairs errors
Testability ability of a theory to be examined locally and empirically
Theory a set of related statements that explain a variety of occurrences