PSYCH 1X03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Confounding, Deductive Reasoning, Descriptive Statistics
Document Summary
Scientific method: construct a theory, generate a hypothesis, choose research method, collect data, analyze data, report the findings, revise existing theories. Theory: collect a general set of ideas about the way the world works. Hypothesis: form a testable statement guided by theories that make specific predictions about relationship between variables. Research method: determine the way in which the hypothesis will be tested. Collect data: take measurements of the outcomes of the test. Analyze data: understand the data and discover trends or relationships between the variables. Revise theory: incorporate new information into our understanding of the world. Anecdotal evidence: evidence gathered from others or self-experience. Multiple trials are a must: single experience might not be representative, personal experience might not represent others, cannot be sure that result is due to energy drinks alone. Experimental group: receives a manipulation of the independent variable.
