Class notes
PSYC 100 Research Methods Notes
- Course
- Psychology 100
- Institution
- University Of Maryland - College Park
This is a comprehensive and detailed note on research methods for Psyc 100. *Essential Study Material!!
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SECTION 3: RESEARCH METHODSHow do we gain insight into our own behavioral and mental processes?
Are there any problems w/ these methods? If so, how could we resolve these problems? =
RESEARCH! EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS!
Compliance: reciprocity
Norm of reciprocity: people should provide benefits to those who benefit them
(ex. People are more likely to say “yes” (i.e. comply) to people that they owe a favor
Scientific Method
What makes a good theory?
- Overarching explanation for phenomena
- Testable & falsifiable
- Leads to multiple predictions
Scientific Method Steps
Theory: Assumption based on well tested and accepted hypotheses
Hypothesis: Speculation about how something might work
Experimentation: trial to test hypothesis
Evaluation: Assess the outcome of the experiment
Conclusion: Insights about what works, gained from analysis
(conclusion to theory arrow= refinement)
Open science: making the entire research process accessible to everyone
Let’s think about our study
1. Sent 678 Christmas cards, received 117 (20%) back
2. Send 300 have a great day texts, how many would we receive back?
IV: Method of delivery of message
DV: Amount of happy messages
Theory: norm of reciprocity
Research question: a question we will attempt to answer. Should be based in theory. What is
our research question?
Ex. -Do people reciprocate happy messages more if they are sent via text message compared
to mail?
Independent vs Dependent Variables
Ex. Do people that study more end up retaining information better?
-Variable is anything that varies (we like to capture change)
-Independent Variable: Variable that is manipulated, hypothesized to cause an outcome (ex.
amount of studying) AKA WHAT I CHANGE
-Dependent variable: variable that is measured, hypothesized to be affected by an
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (ex. amt of information retained)
Basically, if I change my independent variable, I expect to see change in my dependent variable.
, Random sampling vs random assignment
Random sampling- the method you use to select individuals from the population to participate
in your study
Random assignment- the method you use to place participants into groups in an experimental
study (ex. Experimental vs control)
More info about variables
-Conceptual vs Operational
Conceptual variables
-abstract and general
-researcher “thinks up” or conceptualizes this variable
-what the research truly wants to measure
-example: amount of studying
Operational definitions
-SPECIFIC procedure for manipulating or measuring a conceptual variable
Example: time in minutes that I spent reading my psych textbook
EXAMPLE
Conceptual Variables:
Independent variable: method of delivery of message
- Levels of variable (possible conditions):
- Message via mail
- Message via text
Dependent variable: amount of happy messages
Operational Variables:
Independent Variable: How do we clearly define what we mean by “message via text?”
Dependent variable: How do we clearly define what we mean by amount of happy messages?
Operationalize what we mean by the amount of happy messages received…
Ex. % of messages that receive a response that also say hope you have a good day
Confound- an outside influence (variable) that influences both the IV and DV
- This messes up experiment - we need to “control” for confounds
Ex. in our study, confound could be age of person receiving text, gender identity of person
receiving test, or time of day the text was sent
Hypothesis
Hypothesis: specific prediction for variables in a study
What is our hypothesis?
Research question: do people reciprocate happy messages more if they are sent via text
message compared to mail?
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