PSYC 1010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Pharmacology, Observer-Expectancy Effect, Descriptive Statistics

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1010
• Professor: Rebecca Jubis

Document Summary

*research methods consist of various approaches to observation, measurement, manipulation, and control of variables in empirical studies. In order to generalize from the sample to the population, the sample must be representative of the population. Random sampling: each person in the population has an equal chance of being chosen for the sample. The experiment is a research method in which the investigator manipulates a variable under carefully controlled conditions and observes whether changes occur in a second variable as a result. This is a powerful procedure that allows researchers to detect cause-and-effect relationships. Psychologists depend on this method more than any other. X as the independent variable and y as the dependent variable. We want to find out how x affects y in experiments. An independent variable is a condition or event that an experimenter varies in order to see its impact on another variable. This is the variable in which the experimenter controls/manipulates.