Introduction to Psychology: Research Methods

Introduction to Psychology

• Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and the mind, aiming to understand how individuals think, feel, and act, both individually and within groups.

Research Methods in Psychology

• Descriptive research: Focuses on describing a phenomenon, answering "what is the finding?".
• Explanatory research: Seeks to understand "why and how" behaviors occur.
• Empirical method: Knowledge gained through observation and experimentation. Psychology's empirical roots originate with Wilhelm Wundt's 1879 Leipzig laboratory.
• Introspection: A method of self-examination of one's own thoughts and feelings; criticized for subjectivity.
• Structuralism: Focused on the structure of the mind (Wundt).
• Functionalism: Focused on the adaptive purpose of mental processes (James).
• Statistics: A crucial tool in psychology, used to analyze numerical data from studies.
• Experiments: Controlled environments to alter factors and observe effects.
• Biopsychology: Investigates how the nervous system contributes to behavior.
• Developmental Psychology: Examines lifespan changes in behavior and mental processes.
• Cognitive Psychology: Studies mental processes like memory and problem-solving.
• Social Psychology: Focuses on how we think, influence, and relate to one another.
• Clinical Psychology: Diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders.
• Industrial-Organizational Psychology: Applies psychology to work environments.

Research Limitations and Biases

• Non-scientific claims: Often based on rationales and anecdotes, leading to bias and lack of evidence.

• Confirmation bias: The tendency to favor information that confirms pre-existing beliefs.

• Hypotheses: Testable predictions derived from theories.

• Falsifiable: A theory or hypothesis must be able to be proven wrong.

• Theory: A well-supported explanation of observations.

• Inductive vs. Deductive Approach: Inductive: Observation -> Theory; Deductive: Theory -> Observation.

• Case Studies: Advantage: In-depth understanding; Disadvantage: Limited generalizability.

• Naturalistic Observation: Observing behavior in real-world settings.

• Observer Bias: The observer's expectations influencing their observations.

• Surveys: Advantage: Large samples; Disadvantage: Potential for bias in responses.

• Archival Research: Utilizing existing records to study past events.

• Cross-sectional Research: Comparing different groups at the same time.

• Longitudinal Research: Tracking individuals over time to study change.

• Variable: A concept or experience measured or manipulated.

• Operational Definition: A clear, measurable definition of a variable.

• Correlational Research: Examining the relationship between variables.

• Correlation vs. Causation: Correlation does not equal causation.

• Confounding Variables: External factors that can influence results.

• Causation: A specific cause-and-effect relationship.

• Independent Variable (IV): The variable manipulated by the researcher.

• Dependent Variable (DV): The variable measured to assess the effect of the IV.

• Experimental Design: Researchers actively manipulate variables to explore cause-and-effect relationships.

• Manipulation: Intentionally changing the IV.

• Conditions: Different levels of the IV.

• Random Assignment: Placing participants into conditions randomly.

• Experimental Control: Maintaining all other factors constant except the IV.

• Population: The entire group of interest.

• Sample: The specific group from the population studied.

• Generalizability: The extent to which findings from a sample represent the entire population.

• WEIRD Populations: Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (a common limitation of psychological research).

• Ethics in research: Maintaining the well-being and safety of participants (crucial responsibility).

• Replication Crisis/Reproducibility Crisis: Challenges in replicating the results of prior research due to methodological issues.