PSYC 1010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: The Control Group, Naturalistic Observation, Brenda Milner

• School: York University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 1010
• Professor: Doug Mc Cann

Document Summary

Psychologists and other scientists share 3 sets of interrelated goals; measurement and deception, understanding and prediction, and application and control. Measurement and deception to develop measurement techniques that make it possible to describe behaviour clearly and precisely. Understand & prediction scientist make and test predictions called hypothesis which refers to a statement about the relationship between two or more variables. Variables are any measurable conditions, events, characteristics, or behaviours that are controlled or observed in a study. Application and control is referred in theory wise as theories allow a system of interrelated ideas used to explain a set of observations. Theories permit psychologist to make leap from the description of behaviour to the understanding of behaviour. Scientific investigations are systematic as they follow an orderly pattern. First step is to translate a theory or an intuitive idea into a testable hypothesis. Hypotheses must be formulated precisely, and the variables under study must be clearly defined.