Unit 1 - The Scientific Foundations of Psychology

From Simple Studies, Source Link

Summary

• Focus on how psychology evolved from abstract to concrete knowledge.
• Discussion on research methods, statistics, and ethics.

History of Psychology

• Psychology combines physiology (physical studies) and philosophy.
• Key philosophers: Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato debated nature vs. nurture and the mind's location.
• John Locke introduced Tabula Rosa concept: mind as a blank slate at birth.

Important Figures

• Wave 1
  • William James: Introduced functionalism (studying behavior's purpose) in 1890.
  • William Wundt: Established first psychology lab in Germany, began structuralism (introspection, mental structures).
• Wave 2
  • Gestalt (Wertheimer): Critiqued James and Wundt for ignoring the whole self.
• Wave 3
  • Freud: Developed psychoanalysis focusing on conscious and unconscious processes.
• Wave 4
  • Skinner: Advanced behaviorism (using behavior change as treatment, conditioning).
• Wave 5
  • Current wave emphasizes an eclectic approach: multiple perspectives.

Research Methods

• Theory: Based on facts/evidence.
• Hypothesis: Testable prediction of a theory.
  • Example: More sugar intake leads to more distraction.
• Null Hypothesis: Attempts to disprove ideas; significant difference should be observed.
  • Example: Plant growth is not affected by light color.
• Hindsight Bias: Believing outcomes were predictable after knowing them.
  • Example: "I knew it all along" during a sports game.
• Operational Definition: Measurement explanation for variables to facilitate experiment replication.
  • Example: Anxiety defined by survey ratings in different age groups.
• Errors:
  • Coincidence Error: Seeing patterns in random data.
  • Overconfidence Error: Being overly sure of correctness.
• Sampling
  • Representative Sample: Goal is representation of larger population.
  • Random Selection: Increases sample representativeness.
  • Stratified Sample: Ensures sample matches population criteria.

Experimental Method

• Preferred for establishing cause-effect through variable manipulation.
• Confounding Variable: Differences affecting the dependent variable, should be eliminated.
• Random Assignment: Assigns participants to control (no treatment) and experimental groups (receives treatment), reducing bias.
• Variables
  • Independent Variable: Manipulated by experimenter.
  • Dependent Variable: Measured response.
• Biases
  • Experimental Bias: Treating groups differently unconsciously.
  • Subject Bias: Participants act differently when they know the experiment's purpose.
• Blinding Procedures
  • Single-blind: Subjects unaware of test details.
  • Double-blind: Both subjects and researchers unaware of group assignments.
  • Placebo Effect: Subjects' knowledge of treatment affects perception.

Correlational Studies

• Expresses relationship between two variables, not causation.
• Correlation Types
  • Positive: Both variables increase.
  • Negative: One increases, the other decreases.
• Scatterplots: Visual representation of correlation.
• Correlation Coefficient: Scale from -1 to +1 indicating strength.

Other Study Types

• Naturalistic Observation: In natural habitats (e.g., monkeys in the wild).
• Case Study: In-depth on an individual/small group, not generalizable.
• Surveys/Interviews: Large audience reach, less accuracy; requires random sampling.

Measures of Central Tendency

• Mode: Most common value.
• Mean: Average.
• Median: Middle value.

Measures of Variation

• Range: Difference between largest and smallest numbers.
• Standard Deviation: Distance from the mean.
• Distributions
  • Normal curve for intelligence tests.
  • Skewed income distribution.

Ethics in Psychology

• Milgram's Obedience Test: Examined obedience to authority, considered unethical due to induced anxiety.
• Ethical Guidelines
  1. Informed consent.
  2. Do no harm.
  3. Debriefing.
  4. Confidentiality.
  5. Right to withdraw.
• Deception: Ethically permissible when necessary to maintain study integrity.