Science of Psychology

EC #1
Methods of Psychological Research
FOR EXTRA CREDIT AS!ER O"# $%ESTIOS & ' ( in )riting* An ans)er +ey for $,estions 1-.
is /osted on-line on co,rse)or+s*
!hat yo, )ill learn0
Disting,ish 1et)een e2/eri3ental and correlational designs
Disting,ish 1et)een de/endent and inde/endent 4aria1les
%nderstand so3e of the challenges faced 1y researchers in designing a st,dy
Psychologists ,se a 4ariety of 3ethods to in4estigate 5,estions related to h,3an 1eha4ior* One of
the first decisions that /sychology researchers 3,st 3a+e is ho) to st,dy their target 1eha4ior* For the
e2ercise 1elo) )e )ill 1e concerned )ith t)o general 3ethods that researchers ,se 6 correlational
3ethods and experimental 3ethods*
Correlational 3ethods in4ol4e st,dying 1eha4iors as they are* These a//roaches in4ol4e caref,l
o1ser4ation7 3eas,re3ent and inter/retation of 1eha4iors to ,nco4er relationshi/s a3ong the factors that
infl,ence 1eha4ior* In contrast7 e2/eri3ental 3ethods in4ol4e /roced,res that 3ani/,late the conditions
s,rro,nding the 1eha4ior 1eing st,died* 8y esta1lishing e5,i4alent conditions and syste3atically 4arying a
s/ecific factor7 the e2/eri3enter deter3ines the i3/act of that factor* This is the chief ad4antage of
e2/eri3entation9 e2/eri3ental 3ethods allo) ,s to deter3ine ca,se-effect relationshi/s in a )ay that
correlational 3ethods cannot*
First7 try . PRACTICE $%ESTIOS 6 o need to ans)er these for3ally7 tho,gh yo, 3ay )ant
to :ot do)n so3e notes and chec+ yo,r ans)ers against the on-line ans)er +ey* For these 5,estions7 yo,
)ill read a1o,t se4eral ;hy/othetical< in4estigations* For each sit,ation7 consider the follo)ing 5,estions0
a< !hat is the central 5,estion in this e2a3/le=
1< Is this an e2/eri3ental or a correlational design=
If it is an e2/eri3ental design7 )hat is the inde/endent 4aria1le= )hat is the de/endent 4aria1le=
If it is a correlational design7 )hat 4aria1les are 1eing related to one another=
c< Do yo, see any fla)s in the )ay the 5,estion is in4estigated= These 3ay 1e /ro1le3s )ith factors that
are not controlled or e4en ethical concerns* If yo, identify fla)s7 can yo, thin+ of any )ay the
researcher co,ld ha4e i3/ro4ed the in4estigation=
1* A gro,/ of social scientists re4ie)s all of the case-files fro3 the year >??. in the de/art3ent of child
social )elfare in Fa+e City7 %SA ;)ith the na3es re3o4ed<* The scientists )ant to learn a1o,t the
1ac+gro,nds of children )ho ha4e 1een assigned to foster care* One of their findings is that the
3a:ority of children )ho recei4e foster care ha4e e2/erienced /hysical /,nish3ent 3ethods in their
/rior ho3es that )o,ld 1e se4ere eno,gh to 5,alify as a1,si4e* ;Re3e31er7 this st,dy is 3ade-,/ for
this ho3e)or+ assign3ent* This is not a real finding*<
>* Charlie is trying hard to lose his @s/are tireA 1efore his )edding* Be has t)o 3onths to get ready for
the e4ent* Be decides to go a1o,t his )eight loss syste3atically7 trying o,t a ne) )eight loss regi3en
each )ee+* Be ho/es to lose )eight for the )edding and to deter3ine the 1est )eight-loss 3ethod*
The first )ee+7 Charlie e2ercises 4igoro,sly* The second )ee+7 he gi4es ,/ 3eat* The third )ee+ he
drin+s large a3o,nts of )ater* The fo,rth )ee+7 he eats :,st 1ananas* Be contin,es to 4ary his
a//roach each )ee+* At the end of eight )ee+s7 he concl,des that his 1est )eight loss co3es fro3
e2ercise*
Science of Psychology
EC #1
.* A /hysician is intrig,ed 1y a ne) 3edication that has 1een de4elo/ed for slee/ dist,r1ance7 1,t he is
concerned a1o,t its e2/ense relati4e to the 3edication he ,s,ally /rescri1es* Be decides to e4al,ate
the s,ccess of the 3edication* Be deter3ines that the ne2t >? /atients )ho co3/lain of slee/ /ro1le3s
)ill hel/ hi3 esta1lish the effecti4eness of the 3edication* Once he identifies the co3/laint7 the
/hysician sli/s o,t of the roo3 and tosses a coin* If it co3es ,/ @ heads7A he /rescri1es the ne)
3edication* If it co3es ,/ @tails7A he /rescri1es the 3edication he /re4io,sly /rescri1ed* Be
contin,es this /roced,re ,ntil he has 1? /atients in each condition* At the end of a three-3onth /eriod7
he as+s his /atients to re/ort the degree of i3/ro4e3ent on a ten-/oint scale* Be disco4ers that the
ne) 3edication /ro4ides no real ad4antage o4er the& older7 less e2/ensi4e 3edication*
EXTRA CREDIT ASSICMET #1 6 E2/eri3ental Methods
Please ty/e yo,r res/onse to 5,estions & and ( for e2tra credit assign3ent #1* #o, can s,13it in class or
on-line ;see E2tra Credit Instr,ction a4aila1le on-line in the assign3ents section*< On-line s,13ission is
/referred*
o) itDs yo,r t,rn to 1e a researcher* Bere are t)o research 5,estions* Bo) )o,ld yo, address the3=
&* In old 3o4ies and cartoons7 yo, co,ld al)ays tell the 1ad g,ys fro3 the good g,ys 1y the color of
their hats* The 1ad g,ys )ore 1lac+ and the good g,ys )ore )hite* The association of 1lac+ )ith
@1adA and )hite )ith @goodA has an e2tensi4e history )ithin o,r c,lt,re* Fran+ and Cilo4ich ;1EFF<
noted this association and )ondered )hether the color of the ,nifor3 of a s/orts tea3 )o,ld infl,ence
the aggressi4eness of that tea3Ds 3e31ers* Fran+ and Cilo4ich hy/othesiGed that tea3s )hose /layers
)ear 1lac+ ,nifor3s )o,ld 1e 3ore li+ely to 1eha4e aggressi4ely in s/orting e4ents than tea3s )hose
/layers )ear lighter colors* Fran+ and Cilo4ich ;1EFF< ,sed a 4ariety of techni5,es to in4estigate this
hy/othesis*
Bo) )o,ld yo, research this 5,estion=
Assess yo,r a//roach ,sing 5,estions ;1< and ;c< listed a1o4e*
(* A ne) /o/,lar 3o4ie de/icts a grisly scene of teen 4iolence against senior citiGens* Altho,gh the
cri3inals in the 3o4ie are ca,ght and /,nished7 city officials are dis3ayed to disco4er that si3ilar acts
of 4iolence increase across the city shortly after the 3o4ie o/ens* A re/orter )ants to deter3ine
)hether this fil3 leads to an o4erall increase in 4iolent acts against senior citiGens*
If yo, )ere the re/orter7 ho) )o,ld yo, address this 5,estion=
Assess yo,r a//roach ,sing 5,estions ;1< and ;c< listed a1o4e*
This e2ercise is ada/ted fro3 Hane Baldonen and Cynthia CrayDs 1oo+7 @The Critical Thin+ing Co3/anion
for Introd,ctory PsychologyA