PS101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Naturalistic Observation, Dependent And Independent Variables, Confounding
Document Summary
Goals of scientific interpretation: measurement and description. If the hypotheses are not supported, confidence in the theory decreases and revisions to the theory may be made to accommodate the new findings. If the hypotheses generated by a theory consistently fail to garner empirical support, the theory may be discarded altogether. Steps in scientific investigation: formulate a testable hypothesis, to be testable, scientific hypotheses must be formulated precisely, and the variables under study must be clearly defined. Researchers achieve these clear formulations by providing operational definitions of the relevant variables. Research methods consists of various approaches to the observation, measurement, manipulation and control of variables in empirical studies. The experiment is a research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether any changes occur in a second variable as a result. Independent variable condition or event that an experiment varies in order to see its impact on another variable (stays the same)
