Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of the description phase in psychological research?
What is the relationship between the goals of description and explanation in psychological research?
What is an example of a theory in psychological research?
What is the ideal process of accomplishing one research question and moving on to the next?
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What is the purpose of administering tests and assessments in the explanation phase of psychological research?
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What is the role of the school counselor in the example of the young girl's behavior?
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What is the primary goal of psychological research?
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Which of the following is a key component of the 'control' goal in psychology, as described in the text?
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Why is the goal of 'control' in psychology sometimes controversial?
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Which of the following scenarios BEST exemplifies the 'prediction' goal of psychology as described in the text?
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The text suggests that a psychologist or counselor working with a young girl with dyslexia would be MOST interested in which of the following?
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Which of the following BEST reflects the relationship between the goals of 'description' and 'explanation' in psychology?
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Based on the text, which of the following would be a LIKELY outcome of a psychological investigation that focuses primarily on 'description' and 'prediction'?
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The text suggests that the 'control' goal in psychology is NOT about...
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Which of the following is an example of a psychologist applying the 'control' goal in a clinical setting?
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A psychologist's main goal is to find answers to basic research questions that help them to describe, explain, predict, and control mental phenomena.
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The process of moving from one research question to the next in psychology is typically a chaotic and unpredictable experience.
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The description phase of psychological research involves observing a behavior and noting everything about it, including the context in which it occurs, the individuals involved, and the circumstances surrounding it.
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A teacher noticing a student's poor behavior and grades is an example of the 'explanation' phase of psychological research.
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The goal of 'explanation' in psychological research is to develop theories that provide comprehensive explanations for observed behaviors.
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Administering tests and assessments in psychological research are primarily used for the purpose of 'prediction' rather than 'explanation'.
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The goal of 'control' in psychological research is to manipulate or influence behavior in a specific way.
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The 'prediction' goal in psychological research focuses on understanding the potential causes of future behaviors.
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In the given example of a young girl with dyslexia, the prediction phase aims to determine the likelihood of her overcoming the learning difficulty and achieving academic success.
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The goal of 'control' in psychology is solely focused on manipulating behavior to achieve specific outcomes, regardless of ethical considerations or individual autonomy.
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A personality theorist primarily focuses on the 'description' and 'explanation' goals of psychology, seeking to understand individual differences and their potential effects on behavior.
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The text suggests that all psychological investigations will necessarily strive to achieve all four goals (description, explanation, prediction, and control).
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The 'control' goal in psychology is particularly relevant to therapists, as their primary focus is on modifying behaviors to improve their clients' well-being and address psychological difficulties.
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Experimental psychologists, who focus on designing research to understand behavior, primarily concentrate on the 'description' and 'prediction' goals of psychology.
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The text suggests that the prediction phase of psychological research can involve making assumptions about future behavior based on past observations and research, even without concrete evidence or a thorough understanding of the individual's situation.
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The 'control' goal in psychology is inherently negative and seeks to impose external control over individuals, disregarding their agency and autonomy.
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Study Notes
Goals of Psychological Research
- The four primary goals of psychological research are description, explanation, prediction, and control.
Description
- The first goal of psychological research is to describe a phenomenon.
- Description involves observing and noting everything about the behavior, including what is happening, where it happens, to whom it happens, and under what circumstances it happens.
- Example: A teacher observing a student's behavior in a second-grade classroom, noting that the student is not turning in homework, grades are slipping, and has a negative attitude towards school.
Explanation
- The second goal of psychological research is to explain why a phenomenon is happening.
- Explanation involves finding the underlying causes of the behavior, which helps in forming theories of behavior.
- Example: A teacher and others looking for explanations for the student's behavior, administering tests, and consulting with a pediatrician and psychologist to rule out physical illness or learning problems such as dyslexia.
Prediction
- The third goal of psychological research is to predict what will happen in the future.
- Prediction involves determining the likelihood of a behavior continuing or changing.
- Example: A psychologist or counselor predicting that the student will likely continue to do poorly in school and may not reach full learning potential if the situation remains the same.
Control
- The fourth goal of psychological research is to control or modify behavior.
- Control involves changing an undesirable behavior to a desirable one, such as improving learning strategies for a student with dyslexia.
- Example: Psychologists and educators working together to find a training strategy to help the student with dyslexia improve reading skills.
Applications of Research Goals
- Not all psychological investigations aim to meet all four goals.
- Different psychologists, such as personality theorists, experimental psychologists, and therapists, may focus on different combinations of goals depending on their interests and objectives.
The Goals of Psychological Research
- The primary goals of psychologists are to describe, explain, predict, and control mental phenomena to answer basic research questions.
Description: What is Happening?
- The first step in understanding a phenomenon is to describe it by observing and noting everything about it.
- Description involves identifying what is happening, where it happens, to whom it happens, and under what circumstances it happens.
- Example: A teacher describing a student's misbehavior in a second-grade classroom, including not turning in homework, slipping grades, and a negative attitude towards school.
Explanation: Why is it Happening?
- The goal of explanation is to find out why a phenomenon is occurring.
- Explanation involves looking for underlying reasons or causes.
- Example: The teacher and others trying to find an explanation for the student's misbehavior by administering tests, checking for physical illnesses, and assessing the student's learning abilities.
- A theory is a general explanation of a set of observations or facts.
Prediction: When Will it Happen Again?
- Prediction involves determining what will happen in the future based on previous research and observations.
- Example: A psychologist or counselor predicting that the student will continue to do poorly in schoolwork and may not reach their full learning potential if the situation remains the same.
Control: How can it be Changed?
- The goal of control is to change or modify behavior from undesirable to desirable.
- Control involves finding ways to improve the quality of life.
- Example: Helping a child with dyslexia improve their reading skills through learning strategies and training.
- Psychologists and educators work together to find effective training strategies to achieve desirable behavior.
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Description
The goals of psychologists in finding answers to basic research questions, helping to describe, explain, predict and control mental phenomena.
