Psychology 2070A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: External Validity, Internal Validity, Random Assignment

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2070A/B
• Professor: Taylor Kohut

Document Summary

Using observational research to develop anti-bullying programs. Limits of the correlational method: correlation does not equal causation. The basic dilemma of the social psychologist. Sometimes result can appear to be predictable because we are all exposed to human behavior and are acquainted to a variety of social situations and influences. Hindsight bias : the tendency for people to exaggerate how much they could have predicted the outcome after knowing that it occurred. There is an example of a study that shows that opposite findings of an experiment might seem just as obvious as the results that were actually obtained. One must predict what will happen before an experiment. Findings that seem obvious in retrospect may not be easy to predict in advance. The methods employed are of 3 types: observational method, correlational method and experimental method. Researchers typically generate hypotheses from previous theories and research -> continual process of theory refinement.