Psychology 2040A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Random Assignment, Confounding, Dependent And Independent Variables

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2040A/B
• Professor: Jackie Sullivan

Document Summary

A story about a researcher who designed a research plan but then was not able to follow-through due to ethical issues. Research usually begins with a prediction drawn from a theory = hypothesis. Once a hypothesis is tested, it reflects the accuracy of the theory. Sometimes researchers compare hypotheses from different theories and other times they test a hypothesis from one theory. Sometimes little or no theory exists on a topic; therefore, researchers start with a research question, which offers guidance on research methods & designs. Why study research strategies: to be a wise & critical consumer of knowledge. Individuals who work directly with children may be in a unique position to build bridges, need to know who conducted the studies. Naturalistic observation: go into the field or natural environment and record the behaviour of interest: strengths: reflects participants" everyday behaviours, limitations: cannot control conditions, accuracy reduced by observer influence & observer bias.