*Research in Psychology

*What is psychology?

*The study of why people behave the way they do, with the knowledge that if we understand the causes of behavior can we control them.

Could astrology, psychics and voodoo fall within this explanation?

*There are no definite answers in human behavior. WHY?

*Folk Psychology vs. Scientific Psychology

*folk psychology

*Common sense psychology

*Scientific Psychology

*Relies on statistical evidence

* How Would You Define Psychology?

*The scientific study of….. [timeline]

*http://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/01/e01expand.html [view to 10 min.]

*Human behavior

*Aggression

*sleep

*Integrations of biological components?

*Hormones

*Genes

*environment

*Mental process

*Memory, emotion attitude

*Pop Psychology and Psychobabble

*Psychobabble is not based upon research!

*A form or speech or writing that used psychological terms.

*He’s acting all schizophrenic

* I get really OCD about cleaning my bedroom.

*He just can’t make up his mind, he’s so bipolar!

*http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/06/30-psychobabble-phrases-which-do-you.php

*Psychology is Diverse

*Biological

* Experiment

* Brain scans

* Chemical assessment

*Cognitive

* Experiment

* Observation

* Interviews

*Sociocultural

*Group interaction

* Sex/gender

*TOK and ways of knowing

1. Ways of Knowing:1. Language

2. Sense perception

3. Emotion

4. Reason

5. Imagination

6. Faith

7. Intuition

8. Memory

*History of

Psychology

*Spirits, Gods, Voodoo &Demons :

*Trepanning: drilling holes in the skull to release the demons.

*Treating Ailments

*Women were burned as witches across Europe

*Hippocrates explains:

* He noticed hysteria was common in women and thought it was caused by a displaced or "wandering uterus".

*Wilhelm Wundt

*The Father of Psychology:

*1879, Wilhelm Wundt

*First scientifically experimental study of psychology

*http://www.simplypsychology.org/wundt.html

“Regarded as the founder of experimentalPsychology.”

*Sigmund Freud

*Freud was the originator of psychoanalysis

*Sigmund Freud

*Psychodynamic theories of the unconscious mind and the conflict on human behavior.

“People are motivated by powerful unconscious drives and conflict…”

*John Watson

*Behaviorist

*The study of peoples actions with the ability to predict and control those reactions.

*Noted for a very famous & controversial study, “Little Albert”.

*BF Skinner

*Behaviorist

*How does the history of behavior reinforcement affect an individual within a conditioned environment?

*“Skinner was an advocate of behavioral engineering and he thought that people should be controlled through the systematic allocation of external rewards.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._F._Skinner

*Psychology

*Psych – the mind or soul

*Logos – reason

*Epistemology

*“The Theory of Knowledge”……

*Ways of knowing:

*Perception

*Memory

*Language

*Sensation

*Reason

*Ethics

*Good Research needs to be ethical.

*Guidelines for research involving people

*Approval is gained from the institution the researcher is working for.

* Informed consent is obtained from all those who will participate

*Deception is to be avoided unless it is justified by the potential significant contribution that that research will make. [Milgram 10 min.]

*Debriefing must take place.

* Participants rights include the right to confidentiality and the right to withdraw.

* Fabrication of data is unacceptable.

*Ethics cont.,

*Guidelines for researching animals

*There must be clear scientific purpose that will increase the knowledge of processes relating to

* evolution

* development

* maintenance

*alteration

* control or biological significance of behavior.

*Research should benefit welfare of humans or other animals.

*Theoretical vs. Empirical Studies

page 12

*Theory: An explanation for a psychological phenomenon.

*Explains an observation

*Can be used to make predictions

*Theories are built on concepts

* Constructs that can be tested

* Bandura’s concept of Self Efficacy

* An individuals beliefs that they will succeed based upon previous experience.

*Empirical Study: Evidence must be gathered using the scientific method. Requires accurate analysis of data using statistical measured.

*“Theoretical explanations are probable rather that certain, and therefore they are always open to some degree of doubt.”

*One theory cannot always explain all aspects of psychological phenomena

*Empirical Research

*Personal space invasion example (Middlemist et al., 1976) http://signatureibpsychology.wikispaces.com/Research+Articles

*Psychological Theory in Practice

*Professor Carol Dweck, Stanford University:

“Mindset”

Fixed mindset vs. growth mindset

*Psychological Theory in Practice

cont.,

People who attribute their failures to lack of ability become discouraged even in areas where they are capable. Those who think they simply have not tried hard enough are encouraged to try harder when they experience setbacks

1. Does this theory correspond to real life?

2. To what extent does this theory offer insight into possible differences in terms of what people achieve in education, sports , or the arts?

*Critical Thinking

*Read pg 15: Research and psychology

*Discuss the findings of these studies. Would you buy a pill promising you a better memory? Give reasons for your answer.

*What would you look for to conclude a study was valid?