Post on 20-Dec-2015
transcript
Agenda for January 25th
Administrative Items/Announcements Attendance Handouts: course enrollment, RPP instructions Course packs available for sale in 208 Porter
Hall Selection of presentation week/topic Anyone with special needs: come see me Pictures on Thursday!
Follow up from last week Results from in-class study Quiz example (“feedback exercise”)
Begin this week’s topic: Research Methods
Follow-Up From Last Week Quiz example:1. (a) What is the central tension
between emotion theorists who take a social constructivist position vs. those who take an evolutionary position? (b) Explain one piece of evidence that supports each of these positions.
An Open Mouth Increased Perceived Humorousness of the
Cartoon
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Lips Apart Lips Closed
M closed = 2.92, M open = 3.62, F (1) = 6.61, p < .05
Scientific Method in Decision Science
Basic belief that there are consistencies that can be uncovered
Science as an ongoing process
Goals 1. Measurement and
Description 2. Understanding and
Prediction 3. Application and Control
Steps in the Scientific Investigation
Step 1: Formulate a testable hypothesis
Step 2: Select the research method and design the study
Step 3: Collect the data Step 4: Analyze the data and draw
conclusions Step 5: Report the findings
Hypothesis a tentative statement about
the relationship between two or more variables
Operational Definition describes the actions that
will be made to measure or control a variable
Subjects/Participants person’s or animals whose
behavior is systematically observed in a study
Steps in the Scientific Investigation
Step 1: Formulate a testable hypothesis
Step 2: Select the research method and design the study
Step 3: Collect the data Step 4: Analyze the data and
draw conclusions Step 5: Report the findings
Types of Research Methods
A. Descriptive Research 1. Case Studies 2. Observational Studies
a. Naturalistic Observation b. Laboratory Observation
3. Surveys 4. Tests
B. Correlational Studies C. Experimental Research
A. Descriptive Research allow researcher to describe
and predict behavior do not show causality
1. Case Studies detailed description of a
particular individual under study or treatment
2. Observational Studies researcher carefully and
systematically observes and records behavior without interfering in any way with the behavior
a. Naturalistic Observation used to describe behavior
as it occurs in the natural environment
measure behavior in a systematic way
b. Laboratory Observation descriptive study takes place in the lab
Types of Research Methods
A. Descriptive Research 1. Case Studies 2. Observational Studies
a. Naturalistic Observation b. Laboratory Observation
3. Surveys 4. Tests
B. Correlational Studies C. Experimental Research
A. Descriptive Research 1. Case Studies 2. Observational Studies
a. Naturalistic Observation b. Laboratory Observation
3. Surveys 4. Tests
B. Correlational Studies C. Experimental Research
3. Surveys questionnaires and
interviews that ask people directly about their experiences, attitudes, or opinions
4. Tests procedures used to
measure personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities, and values
Validity refers to the degree to
which the content of a test is representative of the domain it is supposed to cover
Reliability whether a test yields
consistent results from one time to another
B. Correlational Studies
Correlation - a measure of how strongly two or more variables are related to each other
Usually used when cannot control the variables to be measured
Positive Correlation High values of one variable
are associated with high values of another
Low values of one variable are associated with low values of another
Scatter Plot Examples Put up overhead transparency
Negative Correlation High values of one variable
are associated with low values of the other variable
If there is no relationship between the variables, they are uncorrelated
Correlation Coefficient Correlations are measured
using the correlation coefficient (r)
r ranges in value from -1.00 to +1.00.
Causality Correlational studies give us
information about relationships, but they cannot tell us anything about causality
Types of Research Methods A. Descriptive Research B. Correlational Research C. Experimental Experimental
ResearchResearch
C. Experimental Research Used to understand
causality Control situation being
studied
Variables Two types of variables
1. Independent Variables 2. Dependent Variables
Independent Variable Variable that is manipulated Hold everything constant
except for the independent variable
Dependent Variable Variable affected by the
manipulation
Experimental andControl Groups
Experimental group - group exposed to the manipulation
Control group - group not exposed to the manipulation
Random Assignment Participants randomly
assigned to either the experimental or control group. This avoids selection effects.
Balances individual differences among participants across groups
Avoiding Bias Single-Blind Study - subjects are
not told what condition they are in Double-Blind Study - person
running experiment does not know which participants are in which groups during data collection. This avoids experimental demand.
Statistics Statistical analyses used to
quantify strength of association between variables
Involves the use of mathematics to organize, summarize, and interpret numerical data
Descriptive Statistics Used to organize and
summarize data Provide an overview of
numerical data Two main components:
Central TendencyVariance
Central Tendency Three components to
understanding the typical or average score median mean mode
Median Score that falls exactly in
the center of the distribution of scores
Half of the scores fall above the median and half fall below the median
Mean
Arithmetic average of the scores in the distribution
Mode the most frequent score in
the distribution
Variance How much the scores in the
data set vary from each other and the mean
Standard Deviation - index of the amount of variability in a set of data
Inferential Statistics Used to evaluate the
probability that results might be due to chance
Statistical Significance Statistical significance -
when low probability that observed findings are due to chance
Very low usually means less than 5 chances in 100