Experimental Psychology

INTRODUCTION
 Experimental Psychology
 INTRODUCTION
 What is Experimental Psychology

Branch of Psychology which studies Behaviour (overt

& inner) through experimental method
Studies Behaviour in Controlled Environment
Nature of Experimental Psychology
Scientific
Cause & Effect relationship
Prediction
Factual
Discovers General Principles
 Experimental Psychology
 Experimental Psychology as a Science
1) Use of Scientific Method
2) Factuality
3) Universility
4) Veridical
5) Discovers the Cause & Effect
Relationship
6) Predicts Behaviour
 Experimental Psychology
 Scope of Experimental Psychology
External Behaviour
Internal Processes
Humans & Animals
Areas covered by Experimental Psychology:
psychophysics, animal psychology, learning,
psychology of Individual Differences, child
psychology, educational psychology
industrial psychology & clinical psychology
 Experimental Psychology
Experimental Method
Psychology is a science of Behaviour
Science is a Method
Philosophy & Psychology distinguished on the
basis of Methodological differences
Experimental method is the most Important
Bring Psychology to the level of Science
 Experimental Psychology
 What is Experimental Method

Defining ‘Experiment’: Observation in

Controlled condition
Define ‘Psychological Experiment’: Observing &
Recording ‘Behaviour’ in Controlled condition

Garret: ‘Experiment is a question asked

systematically’
 Experimental Psychology
 Steps in Experiment:
(1) Raising a Problem (question)
(2) Formation of Hypothesis
(3) To distinguish/identify Independent &
Dependent Variables
(4) Controlling the Environment or Situation
(5) Analysis of the Results
(6) Verification of the Hypothesis by the Result
of the Experiment
 Experimental Psychology
 Limitations of Experimental Method:
(1) Artificial Situation of Laboratory
(2) Difficulty in the Control of the Attitude of
the Subject
(3) Difficulty of Securing the co-operation of
the Subject/Participant
(4) Limited Field