Research Methods in PsychologyWelcome!

What we’ll do todayIntroduce the courseTalk about psychological research

Me!5th year clinical psychology Ph.D. student

Protective Factors in Suicide

Originally from outside Philadelphia

Reaching MeEmail: ekleiman@gmu.eduMailbox: outside 2001 David King HallOffice Hours: Tuesdays 3:00-4:00

1004F David King Hall

Course website: http://mason.gmu.edu/~ekleiman/301/

Some housekeeping…Books

AttendanceIt’s important!50 out of 400 total points are from attendance.Don’t just show up, join in!

What about grading?Lab counts 40% of total PSYC 301 gradePARTICIPATION

In class assignments/peer review/discussionCan’t be made up if you miss lab

Quizzes2 @ 10 points each

OBSERVATIONAL STUDYPAPER 1FINAL PROPOSAL

** Some of this might change. Only

in your favor, though.

How do I get an A?Come to classAsk questions if you’re unsureDo the readings and assignments

What are you doing in return?

Post Powerpoints online before class*Assignments and quizzes back in < 3 days.Better understanding of Psychological Research.Do the best you can do on exams and quizzes.

Switching Gears…

What is psychological research?

The BasicsAbout answering questionsWhose? Yours!Research isn’t just in the lab…

Where do these questions come from?

Personal experienceNewton

A curious hunchGalileo

Refuting past researchBeck

Building upon past researchEveryone else

Descriptive ResearchObservation – discover relationships in the environmentCorrelation– do two things occur together?Survey – Directly asking about thoughts, beliefs, etc.

Experimental ResearchManipulating one thing to (possibly) see change in something else.Not just for lab coats and lab rats!Variables

So what makes up research?

VariablesSomething that changes or VARIES

Types of variablesIndependent Variable (IV)

Changed by the experimenterDependent Variable (DV)

DEPENDS on the independent variable

Variables need to be MEASURED

Hypothesis: The Research Question

Hypothesis: predictionPrediction of how the IV will affect the DVPrediction of how two or more variables relate

A good hypothesis is TESTABLE!

CorrelationHow two things relateCan be positive or negative

Positive: One goes up, the other goes upNegative: One goes up, the other goes down

IV and DV

IV DVAffects

You controlGets

controlled

Increased caffeine More alertness

More studying Higher grades

Amount of money Mike Shannahan makes

More pissed off fans

Some Example Hypotheses

IV affects DV: Petting a puppy will make you happier

IV: Petting a puppyDV: HappinessTestable? Yes!

Some Example Hypotheses

Correlation: Warmer temperatures and increased ice cream sales correlate

Variables: Temperature and ice cream salesDirection: PositiveTestable? Yes!

Warmer temperatures and class attendance correlateVariables: Temperature and class attendanceDirection: NegativeTestable? Yes!

Operational DefinitionsLet’s go back to that puppy…

Petting a puppy will make people happierHow much caffeine?Leads to how much happiness? 3? 4?

We need an OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

Operational DefinitionDefines what the concept is

Happiness

How were going to measure to conceptSelf-report measurePsychophysiological measureCould be anything!

Observational ResearchPrimary role: description

What are we describing? Behavior! How do we do this? Observation!

Systematic, objectiveCareful record keeping.Full and complete picture.

Observational ResearchPrimary goal: Generalize an observation

Small group of people (sample) must be able to represent the whole (population)

We can’t study the entire world!Validity- how well your study supports the results

Does your study accurately support how you tell your story?

Two Types of Observational Research

Naturalistic ObservationIn the natural setting, not the lab!The researcher is the “passive observer”Many examples:

People watching, etc…

Two Types of Observational Research

InterventionTwo types

Overt: The subject knows you’re watching themCovert: The subject doesn’t know you’re watching them.

Researchers intervene and attempt to control the environment in some way. Examples: structured observation, field study.

ExamplesAsch’s Conformity Study

Piaget

Doesn’t always go right: Hawthorne Effect

How do we do observational research?

Operational definitionWHAT you’re going to study and HOW you’re going to measure it.

How would you define…Friendliness on campus?Affectionate behavior in pubic?

How do we do observational studies?

How to measureQualitative

Evaluation of the QUALITIESAudio tapes, recording behavior, etc.

QuantitativeMeasurements, numbersFrequency of a certain behavior, etc.