Research Methods

The science of Psychology

 Psychology is the science of :
 How the human mind
works.
 How the mind enables
people to adjust to
their environment.
 Attempt to understand
human behavior.
 Being an Objective Observer
• Scientific Method
• Principles of the Scientific Method
• Advantages of the Scientific Method
 Research Methodology
Descriptive Experimental
– Direct Observation – Group Research
– Case Study • Between
• Within
– Archival
– – Small N
Survey

Correlational Research

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 Things to Consider…
• Sampling
• Random Assignment
• Confounds
 How to interpret data
Descriptive Stats Inferential Stats
– Central Tendency – Normal Curve
• Mean – Correlation Coefficients
• Median
• Mode
– Variability
• Range
• Variance
• Standard Deviation

Appendix A
 Research Ethics
The History
– Vivisection (1900’s)
– Little Albert (1920)
– Nuremberg Code (1946)
– Stanford Prison Study (‘73)
– Current APA Code (‘92)
Checks and Balances
– IRB
– Informed Consent
– Debriefing
– Use of deception

Animal Research
– When & Why?