PSYCHOLOGY Psychology and Research Methods PSYCHOLOGY CLASSROOM RULES

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PSYCHOLOGY!!! Psychology and Research Methods

PSYCHOLOGY!!! Psychology and Research Methods

PSYCHOLOGY CLASSROOM RULES Respect other peoples’ opinions. Feel free to be outspoken – discussion

PSYCHOLOGY CLASSROOM RULES Respect other peoples’ opinions. Feel free to be outspoken – discussion is important in Psychology. Remember that some topics in Psychology could be SENSITIVE to some people, so be aware of that! Most importantly, Psychology is a science and therefore you need to think CRITICALLY and INDEPENDENTLY – this means think for yourself, don’t just read the textbook! Lastly, don’t expect to ‘get it’ and be amazing at Psychology straight away – it is a new skill to you and it needs developing and work! You will all be fantastic Psychologists soon though!

GLOSSARY When studying Psychology, you will come across a lot of words/phrases that you

GLOSSARY When studying Psychology, you will come across a lot of words/phrases that you haven’t seen before. Some will be completely new to you, others will be slightly new definitions of words that you do know. Have you started competing your

RESEARCH METHODS – EXPERIMENTAL METHODS - LESSON OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson,

RESEARCH METHODS – EXPERIMENTAL METHODS - LESSON OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, you should be able to: Define the FOUR different types of experiment used in Psychology: Laboratory Experiment Field Experiment Natural Experiment Quasi Experiment Understand the differences between these types of experiment: Evaluate the STRENGTHS and LIMITATIONS of the different types of experiment. Apply this understanding to different research scenarios!

LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS Behaviour may be unnatural in this environment Take place in HIGHLY CONTROLLED

LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS Behaviour may be unnatural in this environment Take place in HIGHLY CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS. Doesn’t necessarily have to be a ‘laboratory’, just has to be highly controlled. Researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV. Demand characteristics are more likely

FIELD EXPERIMENTS Takes place in a natural, more everyday setting. Not literally in a

FIELD EXPERIMENTS Takes place in a natural, more everyday setting. Not literally in a field, in the field. Researcher manipulates the IV and records the effect on the DV. It is more difficult to control extraneous variables in a real world environment

NATURAL EXPERIMENTS The researcher takes advantage of a pre-existing independent variable. The IV is

NATURAL EXPERIMENTS The researcher takes advantage of a pre-existing independent variable. The IV is not brought about by the researcher; it would have happened even if the researcher was not there.

QUASI EXPERIMENTS Almost an experiment but not quite! The IV is based on an

QUASI EXPERIMENTS Almost an experiment but not quite! The IV is based on an existing difference between people (e. g. age or gender). No-one manipulates the IV, it just exists.

ACTIVITY On your worksheet, match the key terms with the definitions! Extension: If you

ACTIVITY On your worksheet, match the key terms with the definitions! Extension: If you have finished, add to your definitions with an example of each type of experiment. ANSWERS: Lab Experiment = Experiment that is performed in a controlled environment, using standardised procedures. This type of experiment allows the establishment of causality. the IV is manipulated by the researcher. Natural Experiment = Experiment in which the IV varies naturally; the experimenter does not manipulate it but records the effect on the dv, e. g. Studying the mental health of Native Americans on a reservation when a casino opens during the study, allowing the researchers to study the effect of decreasing poverty on mental health (Costello et al, 2003). This type of experiment is often used when it is unethical to manipulate an iv. Field Experiment = Experiment which occurs in ‘real world’ settings rather than the laboratory. The IV is manipulated by the experimenter and as many other variables as possible are controlled. Quasi Experiment = Experiment in which the IV occurs naturally, e. g. A study of gender where males and females are compared. This type of experiment is often used when it is unethical to manipulate an IV.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS Draw out the following table: STRENGTHS LIMITATIONS LAB EXPERIMENT FIELD EXPERIMENT

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS Draw out the following table: STRENGTHS LIMITATIONS LAB EXPERIMENT FIELD EXPERIMENT NATURAL EXPERIMENT QUASI EXPERIMENT Using your textbook, try to add to your table 2 strengths and 2 limitations of each type of experiment. Highlight words/phrases that you are unsure of, e. g. ‘validity’, ‘reliability’, ‘demand characteristics’ etc.

LAB EXPERIMENTS - EVALUATION (STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS) + High control over EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES (researcher

LAB EXPERIMENTS - EVALUATION (STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS) + High control over EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES (researcher can ensure that the change in IV caused the effect on the DV). Therefore, the study demonstrates cause and effect (high INTERNAL VALIDITY). + Replication is more possible than in other types of experiment because of the high level of control (ensures new EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES are not introduced when repeating an experiment). This is important to check that the results are VALID and not just a one-off. - May lack GENERALISABILITY because the lab environment may be artificial and not like everyday life (participants might behave in unusual ways). This means their behaviour can’t be generalised beyond the research setting (low EXTERNAL VALIDITY) - Participants are usually aware they are being tested in a lab so they might behave unnaturally (DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS). - The tasks participants carry out in a lab might not represent real-life experience (low MUNDANE REALISM)

FIELD EXPERIMENTS – EVALUATION (STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS) + Have higher MUNDANE REALISM than lab

FIELD EXPERIMENTS – EVALUATION (STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS) + Have higher MUNDANE REALISM than lab experiments because the environment is more natural. Therefore, field experiments might produce behaviour that is more VALID and authentic. Especially as participants might not know they are being studied (high EXTERNAL VALIDITY) - Field experiments have less control over EXTRANEOUS VARIABLES. This means cause and effect between the IV and DV is much harder to establish and REPLICATION is often not possible. - There also ETHICAL ISSUES. If participants do not know they are being studied, they cannot give their CONSENT and so the research might invade their PRIVACY.

NATURAL EXPERIMENTS – EVALUATION (STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS) + Allows research to take place that

NATURAL EXPERIMENTS – EVALUATION (STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS) + Allows research to take place that might not be ethical otherwise. + Natural experiments often have high EXTERNAL VALIDITY because they involve the study of real-life issues and problems as they happen. - A naturally occurring event might happen very rarely, reducing the opportunities for research. This also means that there is less scope for GENERALISING findings to other situations. - Participants might not be RANDOMLY ALLOCATED to EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS, which means the researcher might be less sure that the IV affects the DV.

QUASI EXPERIMENTS – EVALUATION (STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS) + Quasi experiments are often carried out

QUASI EXPERIMENTS – EVALUATION (STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS) + Quasi experiments are often carried out under controlled conditions and therefore share the same strengths as a lab experiment. - Quasi experiments, like natural experiments, cannot RANDOMLY ALLOCATE participants to EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS, and therefore there might be CONFOUNDING VARIABLES.

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE… FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO, DECIDE WHETHER IT IS A LAB, FIELD,

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE… FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO, DECIDE WHETHER IT IS A LAB, FIELD, NATURAL OR QUASI EXPERIMENT (BE PREPARED TO JUSTIFY YOUR DECISION!): Baron-Cohen et al (1986) – Got children with Down’s Syndrome, children with Autism and ‘normal’ children to arrange comic strip stories in to the correct sequence. It was found that the children with Autism performed significantly worse when it came to ordering the comic strip. QUASI EXPERIMENT

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE… FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO, DECIDE WHETHER IT IS A LAB, FIELD,

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE… FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO, DECIDE WHETHER IT IS A LAB, FIELD, NATURAL OR QUASI EXPERIMENT (BE PREPARED TO JUSTIFY YOUR DECISION!): Piliavin et al (1969) – Conducted an experiment on a busy New York subway in which a researcher pretended to collapse. It was found that more people helped when the victim was carrying a walking stick than when they smelt of alcohol. FIELD EXPERIMENT

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE… FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO, DECIDE WHETHER IT IS A LAB, FIELD,

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE… FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO, DECIDE WHETHER IT IS A LAB, FIELD, NATURAL OR QUASI EXPERIMENT (BE PREPARED TO JUSTIFY YOUR DECISION!): Williams (1986) – Monitored the change in behaviour of 6 -11 year old children in a Canadian town before and after television was introduced for the first time. Significant increases in levels of aggression were observed after the children had access to television. NATURAL EXPERIMENT

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE… FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO, DECIDE WHETHER IT IS A LAB, FIELD,

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE… FOR THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO, DECIDE WHETHER IT IS A LAB, FIELD, NATURAL OR QUASI EXPERIMENT (BE PREPARED TO JUSTIFY YOUR DECISION!): Gilchrist & Nesburg (1952) – Deprived patients of food and water for 4 hours and showed them pictures of food. These participants rated the pictures of food as being brighter than the control group who had not been food deprived. LAB EXPERIMENT

PREP Add all the key terms/definitions from today’s lesson that are new to you

PREP Add all the key terms/definitions from today’s lesson that are new to you in your glossary.