METHODS OF OBSERVATION AND THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD Testing

METHODS OF OBSERVATION AND THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD

Testing Method ■ Several types of tests ■ Measures abilities, interests, and personality ■ Pros: convenient method to gain insight ■ Cons: Doesn’t provide a complete representation

Case Study ■ In depth Method investigations of individuals or small groups ■ Pros: provides insight into specific cases ■ Cons: May focus on events that cannot be replicated. People could lie or researchers could encourage particular answers

Longitudinal Method ■ Participants are observed over an extended period of time (once a year for 20 years) ■ Pros: allows researchers to see change over time ■ Cons: Time consuming and expensive. Participants may not be available

Cross Sectional Method ■ Compares differences and similarities among people in different age groups at a given time ■ Pros: less time consuming than longitudinal method ■ Cons: differences between members of the sample can’t be attributed to age or development because they are not the same people

Naturalistic Observation ■ Observe the behavior Method of people or animals in their natural habits ■ Pros: allows to witness the behavior of people or animals in settings that are not artificial ■ Cons: Researchers have no control over the setting or what occurs

Laboratory Observation Method ■ Participants are observed in a laboratory setting ■ Pros: can precisely control certain aspects of the study ■ Cons: labs can’t duplicate real life environments

Naturalistic Observation Homework 1. Work in pairs to conduct your own studies using the naturalistic observation method. 2. Determine a workable research question you could observe at school. For example, “What is the average size of a group at lunch, and does the size of the group vary according to the gender of its members? ” 3. Over the next two and a half school days try and make observations for your studies. Try to be as unobtrusive as possible! 4. When you are back in class on Tuesday we will go over our data.

Experimental and Control Groups ■ In the experimental method you need two different types of groups to make sure what you’re experimenting on actually works ■ Experimental group- people who receive the treatment ■ Control group- people who do not receive the treatment ■ For example, what are the effects of extracurricular activities on student’s grades? What would the experimental group do? What would the control group do?

Placebo Effect ■ Is a substance or treatment that has no effect apart from a person’s belief in its effect ■ If you have a headache and you might take a tablet to feel better. That tablet may decrease your headache despite not having any medicine in it ■ Basically your mind is a very powerful tool ■ Why do you think placebos can work in some instances?

Ethical Issues ■ Ethics- are standards for proper and responsible behavior ■ Psychologists try not to be unethical ■ For example one would not want to study the impact of the separation of children from their mothers by forcefully taking children away ■ Psychologists keep the records of participants private (unless someone may be harmed) ■ Participants must give informed consent. Can only be given after they know generally what will happen in the experiment

Discussion 1. Brainstorm hypothetical but realistic, psychological studies that might involve unfair or damaging treatment of the participants. 2. How would you alter these irresponsible studies to be more ethical? 3. Is it ever justifiable to harm a participant in a research study? Why or Why not?

QUIZ TIME!!!!! (You can use your notes)

1. Who is the father of Psychology? 2. Which psychologist that we learned about was a functionalist? 3. Which subfield of psychology makes up the largest percentage of psychologists? 4. Developmental psychology usually focuses on what age group? 5. What are the five steps of scientific research? 6. What is a drawback of surveys? 7. What is a stratified sample? 8. What is a target population? 9. Describe a longitudinal study. 10. What is a control group?