INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
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PSYCHOLOGY
DEFINITION: Scientific study of behavior and mental processes and how
they are affected by an organism's physical and mental state and external
environment.
• GOALS: Describe, understand, predict and control (or modify) behavior or mental processes • PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE: 1. Descriptive Studies - describe but don't explain a. Case history - description of one individual b. Observation i. Naturalistic - natural environment ii. Laboratory - setting control by researcher c. Survey - questionnaires and interviews d. Tests - must be both: i. Reliable - produce consistent results; and ii. Valid - measure what they are designed to measure 2. Correlational Studies - strength of relationship between variables; does not show causation 3. Experiment - researcher controls variable(s) to discover its effect on other variables a. Independent variable - manipulated/control by researcher b. Dependent variable - measure by the researcher (data) c. Experimental and control group - only experimental group exposed to independent variable, otherwise treated the same d. Change in dependent variable caused by independent variable, since all else remained the same |
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