Introduction to

Psychology (part 2)

Psychology: Research

We all observe interesting human behavior, and it naturally causes us to ask questions.

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“Do our unconscious dreams tell us anything about our desires or fears?”

“Who impacts our behavior more: our parents or our friends?”

“If we make a conscious effort, is it possible for us to change our own personalities?”

Psychology: Research

How would you find out the answer to the following question?:

“Are we less willing to help someone in

need if there are more bystanders nearby to help?”

Psychology: Research

Psychologists use the steps of the scientific method to help them answer questions.

Psychology: Research

Identify a question based on behavior and

experiences that require explanation.

Formulate a hypothesis: a testable explanation for a phenomenon. A hypothesis should be written as a

statement, and is often formatted this way: “If [I do this], then [this] will

happen."

Create an operational definition of your

hypothesis: a list of specific, testable

procedures.

Select a research method

Collect the data

Analyze the data

Communicate your

findings

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Psychology: Research

Turn this question into a hypothesis: !

“Are we less willing to help someone in need if there are more bystanders nearby to help?”

Psychology: Research

How could you conduct research

to test your hypothesis?

With the person sitting next to you, come up with an idea.

Types of Research

Archival Research Naturalistic Observation

Survey Research Case Study

Correlational Research Experimental Research

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Archival Research

Using records of historical events (such as descriptions in newspaper articles) to find

evidence supporting your claim.

Are there any articles that describe a situation where bystanders either helped or chose not to

help in an emergency situation?

Naturalistic Observation

Observing naturally occurring behavior without changing or interfering in the situation.

(Preferably, without the participants knowing they are being watched).

Is it possible for us to witness a crime and observe how the bystanders behave?

Survey Research

A sample population of people is selected, and surveyed. This best represents the views of people in general when the sample includes

diverse people.

Can we send a survey to a random set of people that asks, “how likely are you to help a stranger if you see a crime being committed

against them?”

Case Study

An in-depth investigation of an individual or small group of people. We hope that findings of

case studies can be applied to other similar cases, or to people in general.

If we interview a small group of bystanders who witnessed a crime and record their feelings and experiences, can we learn about the behavior of

bystanders in general?

Correlational Research

Trying to see if there is a correlation between two variables (like study time and test scores). Compiling the results of many case studies or

surveys might show us that two things are related - or that they are not related at all.

Is there a negative correlation between a high number of bystanders and a low degree of

help provided?

Experimental ResearchInvestigating the relationship between variables by deliberately controlling an environment. In an experiment, the conditions are created and controlled by the researcher, who deliberately

makes a change in those conditions and observes the effects of that change.

Experimental Research

One group of participants is told that blueberries increase brain function.

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A second group of participants is told that blueberries decrease brain function.

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A third group is not given any blueberries.

Which groups are the “experimental groups?” Which group is the “control group?”

Example…

Experimental Research

Blueberries & information about blueberries = Independent variable

(The variable that is manipulated by the researcher)

Test scores = Dependent variable (The variable that is measured and expected to

change as a result of the researcher’s manipulation of the independent variable).

Experimental Research

Now that we’ve gone over research strategies, how would you conduct experimental research to test the idea that increasing the number of

bystanders in an emergency situation will lower the degree of helping behavior?

VS.

Experimental Research

What if we put participants in a room…

…and present them with an emergency situation?

How many of them will

respond to the emergency?

Experimental Research

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