Module1 Part 2: Research in Psychology
Psychological Research is essential for advancing our understanding of human behavior, thought processes, and emotions. It helps in developing theories that explain various psychological phenomena, informs clinical practices, and guides interventions that improve mental health and well-being.
Experimental Method
Description: Involves manipulating one or more variables to determine their effect on another variable.
Purpose: Establish cause-and-effect relationships.
Example: Testing the effect of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance.
Correlational Method
Description: Examines the relationship between two variables without manipulating them.
Purpose: Identify relationships and predict behaviors.
Example: Studying the relationship between stress levels and academic performance.
Descriptive Method
Description: Involves observing and describing behavior without manipulating any variables.
Types: Case studies, naturalistic observation, and surveys.
Example: Observing children's play behavior in a playground.
Population
Definition: The entire group of individuals or instances about whom we hope to learn.
Example: All college students in the United States.
Sample
Definition: A subset of the population selected for the study.
Purpose: Make inferences about the population.
Example: A group of 200 college students from various universities in the United States.
Random Sample
Definition: A sample that gives every member of the population an equal chance of being selected.
Importance: Enhances the representativeness and generalizability of the results.
Informed Consent
Definition
Description: A process in which participants are fully informed about the procedures and risks involved in a study before agreeing to participate.
Purpose: Ensure ethical standards and protect participants' autonomy.
Elements: Information about the study, understanding of the information, voluntary participation, and competence to give consent.
Independent Variable (IV)
Definition: The variable that is manipulated by the researcher.
Example: The amount of sleep participants get.
Dependent Variable (DV)
Definition: The variable that is measured to see how it is affected by the IV.
Example: Participants' cognitive performance.
Confounding Variable
Definition: An external variable that may affect the DV and could lead to erroneous conclusions if not controlled.
Example: Participants' caffeine intake affecting cognitive performance.
Confidentiality
Description: Ensuring that information obtained from participants is kept private and used only for the intended purposes.
Importance: Protects participants' privacy and fosters trust.
Non-Maleficence
Description: Obligation to avoid causing harm to participants.
Importance: Ensures the safety and well-being of participants.
Random Assignment
Definition: Assigning participants to experimental and control groups randomly.
Purpose: Ensure that each participant has an equal chance of being placed in any group, minimizing pre-existing differences.
Control Group
Definition: The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment.
Purpose: Serves as a baseline to compare the effects of the treatment.
Placebo: A substance or treatment with no therapeutic effect used as a control in testing new drugs.
Placebo Effect: The phenomenon where participants experience improvements due to their expectations of the treatment's efficacy.
Debriefing
Definition: Providing participants with complete information about the study after its completion.
Purpose: Ensure participants leave the study without any misconceptions and understand their contribution to the research.