PSYC 1100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Demand Characteristics, Operational Definition, Empirical Research

• School: Douglas College
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1100
• Professor: Roger Tweed

Document Summary

2. 1: empiricism: how to know stuff: dogmatism: used to describe people"s tendency to cling to their assumptions, empiricism: belief that accurate knowledge can be acquired through observation; essential element in scientific method. Scientific method: set of principles about the appropriate relationship between ideas and evidence/ a procedure for finding truth by using empirical evidence: theory: hypothetical explanation of a natural phenomena, e. g. , some might theorize that sugar causes hyperactivity. Less likely for dc when people cannot be identified as the originators of their actions: private, anonymous questionnaires, unawareness, make sure people who are being observed are unaware of the true purpose of the observation. Measures a second variable in the whole sample. Statistical significance: determined when we calculate the odds that random assignment explains group differences (or other effect). Part of inferential statistics: not accepted unless that chance is less than 5% (p < . 05) that random assignment explains the group difference (or other effect)