PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Standardized Test, Operational Definition, Wii Fit

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Popenenk

Document Summary

Topic 1: the scientific method: video: explains how psychology is based on scientific inquiry and describes basic scientific methods, physical appearances of political candidates has an effect on how we vote : example from video. Appearance influences our views, based on experiences, not scientifically. Psychology based on scientific method, to avoid bias: descriptive methods. Every experiment requires an independent (hours of sleep per night) and dependent variable (performance on a standardized test). 2 groups control and experimental required, equal distribution of participants characteristics so that the groups can be considered equivalent. Conditions remain the same for both groups, control (8hrs) experimental (4hrs) the difference in test performances is due to the independent variable and no other factor. What have you done: oxytocin (independent), the chemical of connection, connection b/w trust(dependent) and oxytocin, makes you trust a stranger with. Aim is to observe the phenomenon of interest w/o directly influencing it: collecting data, case study: exam individual participants.