Myers EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY 4 th Ed Chapter 1

Myers’ EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY (4 th Ed) Chapter 1 Introduction: Thinking Critically with Psychology James A. Mc. Cubbin, Ph. D Clemson University Worth Publishers

What is Psychology? z. Psychology ythe science of behavior and mental processes z. Nature-Nurture Issue ythe long-standing controversy over the relative contribution of genes and experience to the development of psychological traits and behaviors

What is Psychology? z. Basic Research ypure science that aims to increase the scientific knowledge base z. Applied Research yscientific study that aims to solve practical problems

What is Psychology? z. Clinical Psychology ya branch of psychology that studies, assesses, and treats people with psychological disorders z. Psychiatry ya branch of medicine dealing with psychological disorders ypracticed by physicians who provide medical (drug) treatment as well as psychological therapy

Why do Psychology? z. Critical Thinking ythinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions xexamines assumptions xdiscerns hidden values xevaluates evidence

Why do Psychology? z. Hindsight Bias ytendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one would have foreseen it ythe “I-knew-it-all-along” phenomenon z. Overconfidence ywe tend to think we know more than we do

The Scientific Method z. Theory yan explanation using an integrated set of principles that organizes and predicts observations z. Hypothesis ya testable prediction yoften implied by a theory

The Scientific Method generate or refine research and observations lead to hypothesis

Research Strategies z. Replication yrepeating the essence of a research study to see whether the basic finding generalizes to other subjects and circumstances yusually with different subjects in different situations z. Case Study yan observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

Research Strategies z. Survey ytechnique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes or behaviors of people yusually by questioning a representative, random sample of them z. False Consensus Effect ytendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors

Research Strategies z. Population yall the cases in a group, from which samples may be drawn z. Random Sample ya sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

Research Strategies z Naturalistic Observation yobserving and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate and control the situation

Research Strategies z. Correlation ya statistical measure that indicates the extent to which two factors vary together and thus how well either factor predicts the other z. Illusory Correlation ythe perception of a relationship where none exists

Illusory Correlation Conceive Adopt Do not adopt Do not conceive confirming evidence disconfirming evidence z Do you believe that previously infertile couples become more likely to conceive a child after adopting a baby?

Random Sequences z Your chances of being dealt either of these hands is precisely the same: 1 in 2, 598, 960.

Correlation and Causation z. Three possible cause-effect relations Low Self-esteem Depression Distressing events or biological predisposition

Research Strategies z. Experiment ya research method in which the investigator manipulates one or more factors (independent variables) to observe their effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable) while controlling other relevant factors by random assignment of subjects

Research Strategies z. Experimental Condition ythe condition of an experiment that exposes subjects to the treatment, that is, to one version of the independent variable z. Control Condition ythe condition of an experiment that contrasts with the experimental treatment yserves as a comparison for evaluating the effect of the treatment

Perceptions of Violence z Perception of illegal play when players seen to wear black 8 3 2 1 White Jerseys Black Jerseys 0 Color Visible Color Not Visible

Research Strategies z. Random Assignment yassigning subjects to experimental and control conditions by chance yminimizes pre-existing differences between those assigned to the different groups

Research Strategies z. Independent Variable ythe experimental factor that is manipulated ythe variable whose effect is being studied z. Dependent Variable ythe experimental factor that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable yin psychology it is usually a behavior or mental process

Research Strategies The Design of the Second Frank and Gilovich Experiment Manipulation of Independent Variable Condition Manipulation of Independent Variable Measurement Of Dependent Variable Experimental Wear black jerseys Aggressiveness (game choice) Control Not wear black jerseys(wear white) Aggressiveness (game choice)

Research Strategies z. Operational Definition ya statement of the procedures (operations) used to define research variables z. Placebo yan inert substance or condition that may be administered instead of a presumed active agent, such as a drug, to see if it triggers the effects believed to characterize the active agent

Research Strategies Subliminal tape content Self-esteem Tape label Self-esteem Memory z. Design of the subliminal tapes experiment

Research Strategies z. Double-blind Procedure yan experimental procedure in which both the subject and the research staff are ignorant (blind) about whether the subject has received the treatment or a placebo ycommonly used in drug-evaluation studies z. Culture yenduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, and traditions shared by a large group of people ytransmitted from one generation to the next

Duck or Rabbit? z Our preconceptions can bias our observations and interpretations

Studying Psychology z. SQ 3 R ya study method incorporating five steps: x. Survey x. Question x. Read x. Rehearse x. Review