General PsychologyInstructor: Dan Benkendorf
What is Psychology? The science of behavior and mental processes Psychology answers questions like…
What is the relationship between structures and chemicals in the brain and behavior?
Why do people’s personalities differ? What are the origins of my personality?
Why do people conform to social norms? How do people learn new habits, and why are they so
hard to break? What are the causes of mental illness? What traits are characteristic of good leaders? Why do people hold stereotypes about other people?
Specialty Areas in Psychology Biological Cognitive Experimental Developmental Social Personality Health Educational Industrial/Organizational Clinical
The Scientific Method A set of assumptions, attitudes, and procedures
that guide researchers in creating questions to investigate, in generating evidence, and in drawing conclusions.
4 Basic Goals of Psychology1. Describe
2. Explain
3. Predict
4. Control
Knowledge of the Scientific Method Helps You to be a Wiser Consumer of Information
Knowledge of Research Methods Enables Us to Make Accurate Predictions
The Steps in the Scientific Method
1. Formulate a hypothesis
2. Design the study and collect the data
3. Analyze the data and draw conclusions
4. Report the findings
Building Theories: Integrating the Findings What is a theory? What is pseudoscience?
Are claims of paranormal phenomena considered pseudoscience?
Characteristics of pseudoscientific claims: Many violate the rule of falsifiability Proponents often use anecdotes or testimonials as
evidence to support their claims There are alternative explanations (other factors that
account for causes or explain the claims) They typically apply scientific principles in ways that are
not substantiated by empirical evidence and are actually contradicted by scientific explanation
Descriptive Research Methods The descriptive research methods are
strategies for observing and describing behavior. Naturalistic observation Case studies Surveys Correlational studies
Correlational Studies Examines how strongly two variables are
related to, or associated with, each other Can be used to analyze the data gathered
by any type of descriptive research method Correlation coefficient
Positive correlation Negative correlation
Correlations
Far left - strong positive correlation; Near left - weak positive correlation
Far right - strong negative correlation; Near right - weak negative correlation
The Experimental Method The experimental method is a research
method used to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between changes in one variable and the effect that is produced on another variable. Independent variable Dependent variable
Variations in Experimental Design Placebo control group
Can help researchers check for expectancy effects, which are changes that may occur because subjects expect changes to occur—sometimes referred to as placebo effects.
Double-blind study – Purpose is to guard against the possibility that the
researcher will inadvertently display demand characteristics—subtle cues or signals that communicate what is expected of certain subjects
Single-blind study
Limitations of Experiments Artificial conditions Ethical limitations
Ethics in Psychological Research The American Psychological Association (APA)
has developed a strict code of ethics for conducting research with both human and animal subjects, the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct.
Psychologists must: Respect the dignity and welfare of participants Not expose research participants to harmful or dangerous
conditions Obtain approval from the ethics panel at the institution
where the study is to be conducted
Five Key Provisions of the APA Ethical Guidelines
1. Informed consent and voluntary participation
2. Students as research participants
3. The use of deception
4. Confidentiality of records
5. Information about the study and debriefing
Questions About the Use of Animals in Psychological Research Research using animal subjects
must have an acceptable scientific purpose.
There must be a reasonable expectation that the research will Increase knowledge about behavior Increase understanding of the species
under study Produce results that benefit the health or
welfare of humans or other animals
Evaluating Media Reports About Psychology Be especially skeptical of sensationalistic claims or findings Anecdotes are the essence of talk shows, not scientific
evidence Remember that the goal of “shock” radio and televisions is
ratings Look for the original source of a professional publication Consider how the research was funded Consider the methods and operational definitions used Remember the distinction between correlation and causation Skepticism is the rule, not the exception, in science