Introduction to Psychological Science, Lecture notes of Introduction to Psychology

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Lecture 1 – Course Introduction

and Introduction to Psychological

Science

Introductory Psychology

PSY 272 Section 3

Lisa Bauer

Course Goals

• (^) This course is designed to offer you a dynamic and engaging introduction to the study of the mind: psychology. It is the aim of the instructor that students will get a rich overview of the varied topics within psychology, including cognition, perception, memory, neuroscience, psychological conditions and treatment, experimental design and methods and the general science of psychology. By the end of this course you should be able better able to understand the role of the psychologist in science and society, the study and practice of psychology and better able to interpret psychological research presented in the media.

Course requirements and assessment

• (^) Homework – there will be weekly self tests of multiple choice and short answer questions, based on the assigned readings and lectures for the week. The lowest of these is dropped, an average is taken of the remaining.
• (^) Exams (3) – 3 equivalent exams – 10/2, 11/6 and 12/
• (^) Term paper– a short term paper between a selection of two projects, described in detailed handouts posted to blackboard by the end of the second week Due 11/

Discovering Psychology 6/e, Hockenbury & Hockebury Worth Publishers: ISBN-13: 978- 1464102417 ISBN-10: 1464102414 Other readings made available on Blackboard under Content/Readings

Introduction and

Research Methods

What is Psychology?

• (^) The scientific study of behavior and mental

processes

• (^) Psychological research obeys the scientific method
• (^) Psychology is somewhat more prone to ‘pseudoscience’, as the constructs under investigation can be harder to define.

Steps in the Scientific Method

• (^) Formulate testable questions
  • (^) Develop hypotheses
• (^) Design study to collect data
  • (^) Experimental
  • (^) Descriptive
• (^) Analyze data to arrive at conclusions
  • (^) Use of statistical procedures
  • (^) Use of meta-analysis
• (^) Report the findings
  • (^) Publication
  • (^) Replication

Definitions

• (^) Empirical evidence—based upon objective observation, measurement, and/or experimentation
• (^) Hypothesis—tentative statement about the relationship between variables
• (^) Variables—factors that can vary in ways that can be observed, measured, and verified (independent versus dependent)
• (^) Operational definition—precise description of how the variables will be measured

Descriptive Study

• (^) Describes a set of facts
• (^) Does not look for relationships between facts
• (^) Does not predict what may influence the facts
• (^) May or may not include numerical data
• (^) Example: measure the percentage of new students from outofstate each year since 1980

Correlational Study

• (^) Collects a set of facts organized into two or more categories - (^) measure parents’ disciplinary style - (^) measure children’s behavior
• (^) Examine the relationship between categories
• (^) Correlation reveals relationships among facts
  • (^) e.g., more democratic parents have children who behave better

Experimental Design

• (^) Random sample—every member of the

population being studied should have an

equal chance of being selected for the

study

• (^) Random assignment—every subject in the

study should have an equal chance of

being placed in either the experimental or

control group

• (^) Randomization helps avoid false results

Samples and Sampling

• (^) Population—large (potentially infinite) group represented by the sample. Findings are generalized to this group.
• (^) Sample—selected segment of the population
• (^) Representative sample—closely parallels the population on relevant characteristics
• (^) Random selection—every member of larger group has equal change of being selected for the study sample

This week

• (^) Read Hockenburg & Hockenbury

Chapter 1 & Appendix A

• (^) Complete review quiz on Chapter 1