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Psychological Inquiry - Part 1
Class Psychology Foundations: The Social Self
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fGB2CqSBe-ECSA2JKmTuCbw3JsjlOAhpmz57a8HIa9Q/edit https://docs.g
Materials F8xvwqnKwoXBTHGvw8DY8UKI_EyxYZj5g7iE/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yHBWyIdJ5T_JvrZGmr
vuDdnFw/edit#
Reviewed
Module 1 Learning Outcomes:
1. Differentiate the scientific method from other ways of knowing.
2. Describe the goals of science as they relate to research in psychology.
3. Outline the steps involved in the research process.
4. Identify examples of possible sources of research ideas.
5. Generate research hypotheses.
6. Distinguish between dependent, independent, and extraneous variables.
7. Develop an operational definition.
8. Differentiate between nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales of measurement.
9. Distinguish between measurement reliability and validity.
10. Identify techniques and purposes of sampling in research
Learning Outcome 1: Differentiate the scientific method from other ways of knowing.
Ways of knowing:
1. Superstition: Interpreting random events as non-random or believing in magical or supernatural causes.
2. Intuition: it involves drawing upon instincts and hunches.
a. Sometimes this is just a feeling and sometimes it’s based on experiences we’ve had but we can’t consciously remembe
b. So we just say something is knowledge because it feels right or it feels wrong, we have a ‘gut feeling’ about something b
3. Illusory correlation: perceive a relationship that is not there.
4. Authority: drawing knowledge from authority figures.
5. Tenacity: clinging stubbornly to a particular belief, despite evidence to the contrary, because we’ve heard it so many times o
6. Rationalism: new knowledge based on logical reasoning. thinking things through and using logic to come up with some kind
7. Empiricism: drawing on direct observations (sensations) of things by the senses (seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touchin
a. Observing will give us a long list of facts but this will not lead to understanding, unless we can find a way to organise an
8. Science: combines empiricism and rationalism, drawing on empirical methods and logical reasoning, to get the best out of b
Issues with non-scientific methods:
erroneous beliefs - untrue facts
inaccurate information
perception based on previous experiences
flaws in logical reasoning - cognitive biases
Psychological Inquiry - Part 1 1
, Scientific methods help us overcome the below issues:
Overgeneralisation
Illogical reasoning
Selective observations
Inaccurate observations
Learning Outcomes 2: Describe the goals of science as they relate to research in psychology.
3 main goals of science:
1. Describe - the basic level. e.g. epidemiology.
a. You could do that with depression. How common is depression in university students, what does depression look like fo
2. Predict - making links of what we know and to what we are interested in.
3. Explain - identify the factors that cause the phenomena and provide reasons for why it occurs.
Learning Outcome 3: Outline the steps involved in the research process.
1. Find a research Idea
2. Form a hypothesis
3. Define and measure the variable
4. Identify participants and subject
5. Select a research strategy
6. Select a research Design
7. Conduct the study
8. Evaluate the Data
9. Report the results
10. Refine/reformulate your research Idea.
Learning Outcome 4: Identify examples of possible sources of research ideas.
1. common sense - general knowledge based on what we heard
2. observations - You might observe something directly that you want to understand
3. practical problems - This is where you identify a problem in your surroundings or your community and you want to find a so
a. e.g. decreasing the stigma of mental health in the workplace
4. past research - based on other researchers and scholars work you may question further need to work on the idea/theory or
5. looking at theories - testing current known theories and working on that further
Basic vs Applied theory:
basic theory: gaining knowledge on the world around us and how it works
example: explore the theory behind why we copy the behaviour of those around us, we're talking about basic research.
applied Theory: solving real-life issues
example: when we talk about clinical research in psychology, how to diagnose and treat mental health conditions, that's
Learning Outcome 5: Generate research hypotheses.
A good hypothesis is the one that has ‘logic’.
When generating a research hypothesis it must be:
1. testable - come up with a hypothesis that's actually reasonable for somebody to test. It must involve real situations, events
Psychological Inquiry - Part 1 2
Psychological Inquiry - Part 1
Class Psychology Foundations: The Social Self
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fGB2CqSBe-ECSA2JKmTuCbw3JsjlOAhpmz57a8HIa9Q/edit https://docs.g
Materials F8xvwqnKwoXBTHGvw8DY8UKI_EyxYZj5g7iE/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yHBWyIdJ5T_JvrZGmr
vuDdnFw/edit#
Reviewed
Module 1 Learning Outcomes:
1. Differentiate the scientific method from other ways of knowing.
2. Describe the goals of science as they relate to research in psychology.
3. Outline the steps involved in the research process.
4. Identify examples of possible sources of research ideas.
5. Generate research hypotheses.
6. Distinguish between dependent, independent, and extraneous variables.
7. Develop an operational definition.
8. Differentiate between nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales of measurement.
9. Distinguish between measurement reliability and validity.
10. Identify techniques and purposes of sampling in research
Learning Outcome 1: Differentiate the scientific method from other ways of knowing.
Ways of knowing:
1. Superstition: Interpreting random events as non-random or believing in magical or supernatural causes.
2. Intuition: it involves drawing upon instincts and hunches.
a. Sometimes this is just a feeling and sometimes it’s based on experiences we’ve had but we can’t consciously remembe
b. So we just say something is knowledge because it feels right or it feels wrong, we have a ‘gut feeling’ about something b
3. Illusory correlation: perceive a relationship that is not there.
4. Authority: drawing knowledge from authority figures.
5. Tenacity: clinging stubbornly to a particular belief, despite evidence to the contrary, because we’ve heard it so many times o
6. Rationalism: new knowledge based on logical reasoning. thinking things through and using logic to come up with some kind
7. Empiricism: drawing on direct observations (sensations) of things by the senses (seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touchin
a. Observing will give us a long list of facts but this will not lead to understanding, unless we can find a way to organise an
8. Science: combines empiricism and rationalism, drawing on empirical methods and logical reasoning, to get the best out of b
Issues with non-scientific methods:
erroneous beliefs - untrue facts
inaccurate information
perception based on previous experiences
flaws in logical reasoning - cognitive biases
Psychological Inquiry - Part 1 1
, Scientific methods help us overcome the below issues:
Overgeneralisation
Illogical reasoning
Selective observations
Inaccurate observations
Learning Outcomes 2: Describe the goals of science as they relate to research in psychology.
3 main goals of science:
1. Describe - the basic level. e.g. epidemiology.
a. You could do that with depression. How common is depression in university students, what does depression look like fo
2. Predict - making links of what we know and to what we are interested in.
3. Explain - identify the factors that cause the phenomena and provide reasons for why it occurs.
Learning Outcome 3: Outline the steps involved in the research process.
1. Find a research Idea
2. Form a hypothesis
3. Define and measure the variable
4. Identify participants and subject
5. Select a research strategy
6. Select a research Design
7. Conduct the study
8. Evaluate the Data
9. Report the results
10. Refine/reformulate your research Idea.
Learning Outcome 4: Identify examples of possible sources of research ideas.
1. common sense - general knowledge based on what we heard
2. observations - You might observe something directly that you want to understand
3. practical problems - This is where you identify a problem in your surroundings or your community and you want to find a so
a. e.g. decreasing the stigma of mental health in the workplace
4. past research - based on other researchers and scholars work you may question further need to work on the idea/theory or
5. looking at theories - testing current known theories and working on that further
Basic vs Applied theory:
basic theory: gaining knowledge on the world around us and how it works
example: explore the theory behind why we copy the behaviour of those around us, we're talking about basic research.
applied Theory: solving real-life issues
example: when we talk about clinical research in psychology, how to diagnose and treat mental health conditions, that's
Learning Outcome 5: Generate research hypotheses.
A good hypothesis is the one that has ‘logic’.
When generating a research hypothesis it must be:
1. testable - come up with a hypothesis that's actually reasonable for somebody to test. It must involve real situations, events
Psychological Inquiry - Part 1 2
