Rules of Psychological Experimentation:

What You Need to Know

Psychology:

The scientific study of mental processes and behavior.

Research vs. Applied Psychology Research Psychologists: study the origin, cause, or

results of certain behaviors

Applied Psychologists: make direct use of the findings of research psychologists

Different Forms of Analysis(Pages 17-18)

Biopsychological Analysis Behavioral Analysis Psychoanalytic Analysis Humanistic Analysis Cognitive Analysis Sociocultural Analysis

Biopsychological Analysis

Use of biology, neurology, and the physical changes that result when a behavioral change occurs

Behavioral Analysis

Past experiences have trained you for current behavior

Psychoanalytic Analysis

The focus is on desire and needs and when there is a conflict, it causes a problems in the unconscious (Freud)

Humanistic Analysis

Your inner workings remain intact, but you change behavior for a time based on outside influences, conflicts, or distractions.

Cognitive Analysis

The focus is on thinking skills not previous learning or unconscious impulses. Mind over Matter!

Sociocultural Analysis

The focus is on cultural influences over human behavior.

Eclecticism

The process of making your own system by borrowing from two or more other systems.

Think of a kid in a candy store: I’ll take a little of this and a little of that…

Basic Procedures

Hypothesis Subjects Variables: Independent vs. Dependent Experimental Group Control Group Double-Blind Study: Placebo Results

Consider these Terms in an Experiment

Will taking a sleeping pill before bed help insomniacs sleep?

Hypothesis

A statement of the results that the experimenter expects.

X amount of pills helps an otherwise healthy person overcome their insomnia

Subjects

People or animals on whom a study is conducted.

Two groups of people with similar health, age-range, and sleeping problems.

Variables

Factors that change in an experiment.

Look at Independent and Dependent

Independent Variable

The factor that the experimenter manipulates or changes in a study.

Experimenter “regulates” the pills giving one group genuine sleeping pills and the other group a placebo.

Dependent Variable

The factor in a study that changes or varies as a result of the changes in the independent variable.

The results vary between better sleep, worse sleep, and same sleep.

Control

This is the removal of factors other than the independent variable that might cause the results.

The experimenter will not use people who are sick, have allergies, are very old, or have other factors that could alter the real effects of the medicine in an average person.

Experimental Group

The group on which the critical part of the experiment is performed.

This is the group of subjects who get the real sleeping pills.

Control Group

The group that does not participate in the critical part of the experiment.

This is the group of subjects who get the placebo pills.

Results

The answer as to whether the hypothesis was proven correct.

Hypothesis is incorrect. After a number of days, insomnia returned and was worse than original problem.

Reason, tranquilizers interfere with dreams which are curative, and result in people feeling worse.

Different Methods for Studying Behavior

Survey Method Naturalistic Observation Interviews Case Study Method Psychological Tests Longitudinal vs. Cross-Sectional Studies

Survey Method

A method of research that involves asking questions about their feelings, opinions, or behavior patterns from a specifically selected group.

Questionnaire, telephone, internet

Sample: a group that represents a larger group. Representative Sample: a group that truly

reflects a selected characteristic of a larger population

Naturalistic Observation

A research method that involves studying subjects without their being aware that they are being watched.

The result is more accurate data being observed and used.

Interviews

A research method that involves studying people face to face and asking questions.

Problem: Fact vs. Fiction Subject will be on best behavior, ex.

Healthy Eaters but population is obese

Case Study Methods

The collection of as much info. as possible about a person’s background to understand evolution from early years to current problems.

Helps in understanding how a person approaches problems.

CANNOT generalize from a case study.

Psychological Test

Objective methods for observation and measurement that attempts to remove bias

Examples: IQ, personality, job aptitude

These are good, but often observation in the work place or social setting gives more accurate results

Longitudinal Studies

Studying the same group of people over and extended period of time.

Cross-Sectional Studies

Research that looks at different age-groups at same time to determine changes that occur during the life span

Reports

Properly Reporting Findings Abstract: 1-2 paragraph overview of experiment

Introduction: 1-2 paragraph explanation of purpose and causes for experiment

Hypothesis: Anticipated outcome

Method: Clearly explains each step in an experiment as well as clear description of the subjects

Results: Was hypothesis true or not

Discussion: Why you believe results occurred as they did (limitations, etc.)

Conclusions: Final Thoughts

References

Ethics

American Psychological Association (APA)

1. Subjects must have right to decline participation or withdraw from an experiment at anytime

2. Openness and honesty are essential (if cannot disclose at start of experiment, must do so at end)

3. Information obtained about a subject during experimentation MUST remain confidential.

4. Experimenter has the responsibility to assess carefully the possibility of any potenetial risks, physical or mental, to participants; inform them of existing risks, and correct or remove any undesirable consequences of participation.

DJE– What type of ethical considerations do you think need to be observed during an experiment?