Psychology 2800E Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: United States Census Bureau, Naturalistic Observation, Experiment
20 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
Experimental research requires exerting control through manipulation and assignment of people to groups. Researcher systematically varies conditions under which participants perform task. Is used to test predictions from theory about how performance will change in response to treatments. In many cases, no manipulation (so no treatments) Researcher collects information on beliefs, attitudes, preferences, behaviours, and their correlations. Recording ongoing behaviour without trying to influence it. Testing a hypothesis using data that the researcher did not collect. Detailed examination of individual cases (will be covered later in this term) Note that the researcher tries not to influence the behaviour being observed. Such things are observed when they occur naturally. Observer tries to disturb the behaviour of the person being observed as little as possible. We don"t want people being studied to react to the presence of the observer (reactivity) Examine the products people own, or that a society produces, to test hypotheses about attitudes and preferences.
