PSYC1101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: External Validity, Social Desirability Bias, Informed Consent
CHAPTER 2: STUDYING BEHAVIOR SCIENTIFICALLY
The Scientific Method
- (a) Ask the question
- (b) Hypothesis
- (c) Conduct research
- (d) Analyze
- (e) Build Theory
Hindsight Understanding
- After-the-fat uderstadig
- Finding explanations for any result presented to them
- Tell e soethig I dot already ko
- Our most common method of trying to understand behavior
Variables
- Can vary
➢ Eg. Height, hair color, income, age, sex and average marks
Self-reports
- Ask people to report on their own knowledge, attitudes, feelings, experiences or
behavior
- May be distorted by social desirability bias
➢ Tendency to respond in a socially acceptable manner rather than according
to how one truly feels or behaves
Unobtrusive Measures
- Record behavior that keeps participants unaware that responses are measured
Archival Measures
- Records documents that alr exist
Ethical Standards in Human Research
- Informed consent
- Risk / Benefit analysis
- Confidentiality
Naturalistic Observation
- Researcher observes behavior as it occurs in a natural setting & attempts to
avoid influencing behavior
Survey Research
- Collecting info based on questionnaires / interviews
➢ Representative sample: Reflects impt characteristics of population
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Document Summary
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