Course outline, a os, aims, hyps, iv, dv, sampling

Psychology’s foundation in research is what it shares with

other sciences.

• Evidence to support psychological ideas is gathered through research.

• Validated evidence = scientific progress.• Scientific knowledge changes when new

evidence provides a better explanation.

…for the purposes of your AS level. However, this statement is certainly up for debate.

So, yes Psychology is

regarded as the science of behaviour

- Knowledge of HOW Psychologists gather information is vital to your success as AS level.

- KNOWLEDGE of and APPLICATION of research methods.

UNIT 1: PSYA1Cognitive PsychologyDevelopmental PsychologyResearch Methods

UNIT 2: PSYA2Biological PsychologySocial PsychologyIndividual Differences

With me 3 hours per week.

With Mrs Gordon-Smart 2 hours per

week.

50% AS(25% A2)

50% AS(25% A2)

Why not divide your folder into the 6

sections?3 for Unit 13 for Unit 2

- Knowledge of HOW Psychologists gather information is vital to your success as AS level.

- KNOWLEDGE of and APPLICATION of research methods.

UNIT 1: PSYA1Cognitive PsychologyDevelopmental PsychologyResearch Methods

AO1: Knowledge and understanding

- recognise, recall and show understanding.- Select, organise and communicate relevant information.AO2: Application of knowledge and understanding

- analyse and evaluate knowledge and processes.- apply knowledge and processes to unfamiliar situations.- assess validity, credibility and reliability.AO3: Psychology as a science

- describe ethical process and select appropriate methods.- know how to make, record and communicate reliable

and valid observations/measurements, with accuracy and using a variety of sources.

- analyse, interpret, explain and evaluate methodology, results and impact of own and others research.

Grading

• At AS, Grading is A – E (U= ungraded).

• For A2, the grading changes to the full A* - E.

Content & Exams

Content:• At AS, there is a lot of compulsory content =

less choice.• This prepares you for A2 = more choice.

Examinations:• The AS course is examined in June – for both

Units 1 and 2.

The latest AS results were 80%

A-C

This is fantastic!

Research Methods

The content is split into three parts:1. Methods and techniques2. Investigation design3. Data analysis and presentation

L/O: - To be able to explain the purpose of psychological research.- To be able to create clear aims and hypotheses for research.

Research Methods

The content is split into three parts:1. Methods and techniques2. Investigation design3. Data analysis and presentation

But first, let’s establish the first steps for a Psychologist carrying out research.

TaskIn pairs, define the words:

• OBJECTIVE:

• SUBJECTIVE:

Challenge: How might these words relate to research?

• Empirical evidence is information gathered about human behaviour based on careful observation and measurement.

• Empirical research assumes that observations are objective – not influenced by emotions or personal opinions.

This is difficult to achieve,

why?How might a researcher make their research more objective?

AIMS• Psychologists (particularly Research

Psychologists) have a real desire to seek out the origins and motives of human behaviour.

• An AIM is a reasonably precise idea about the area of study and what the study is going to try to achieve.

To describe the effects of stress on our memory.

To look at whether listening to music while revising helps us

remember things.

THE HYPOTHESIS

• The HYPOTHESIS predicts what a researcher expects to find.

• The idea is that your research will try to find evidence to support your hypothesis.

AIM: To describe the effects of stress on

memory.

HYPOTHESIS: The more stressed we are, the

worse our memory will be.

TASK: create a hypothesis for the second example aim: To look at whether listening to music while revising helps us remember things.

Can we?

L/O: - To be able to explain the purpose of psychological research.- To be able to create clear aims and hypotheses for research.

Swap notes with someone near you. Is their aim and hypothesis clear?Aim: states purpose, not detailed.Hypothesis: predicts what we expect to find.

L/O: to be able to differentiate between experimental, alternative, null, directional and non-directional hypotheses.

Write down these key terms for hypotheses:

Experimental hypothesis H1

In experiments, researchers use a H1 because it predicts what will happen.

Alternative hypothesis HAWhen collecting opinions or observing behaviour, researchers use a HA because it does not attempt to identify the causes of behaviour.

Null hypothesis H0

Predicts that what we find in our research just happened by chance. It looks like the opposite of our main hypothesis.

You must always have a NULL HYPOTHESIS because we can never rule out the possibility that results are due to chance.

Accept your hypothesis = reject the null hypothesisOR

Reject your hypothesis = accept the null hypothesis.


Task: Which is which?Experimental hypothesis H1

Alternative hypothesis HANull hypothesis H0

1. Channel changing is caused by the boring content of adverts.

Date




2. Being good at maths means that you will also be good at chess.

Date




3. Students who use Yahoo for answers are less likely to complete homework independently.

Date




4. Children who eat oily fish for six months do not show a higher IQ increase than children who do not.

Date


Answers: Which is which?

1. Experimental hypothesis H1

2. Experimental hypothesis H1

3. Alternative hypothesis HA

4. Null hypothesis H0

What do you notice about this experimental hypothesis?

Look closely at the words.HINT: See the L/O.

Children who eat oily fish for six months do not show a higher IQ increase than children who do not.

Children who eat oily fish for six months show a higher IQ increase than children who do not.

Null to experimental

• Variables: The things that change or vary during the research.

Example:You decide to see if whether taking a different journey to the shops makes your journey time change.

What are the two variables here?

• Variables: The things that change or vary during the research.

Example:You decide to see if whether taking a different journey to the shops makes your journey time change.

Route taken = variable under your control INDEPENDENT variable.Journey time = variable that varies because of the route you have taken DEPENDENT variable.

Can we?


1. Define each.

2. What might be the advantages and disadvantages of directional vs. non-directional hypotheses?

• Experimental hypothesis: predicts the cause of the change you are hypothesising will happen.

• Alternative hypothesis: usually used in surveys or behavioural observations, does not predict a causal relationship between the variables.

• Null: opposite of your hypothesis, must be included as we can never rule out the possibility of something being due to chance.

• Directional: predicts a direction in the change e.g. better/worse memory, higher/lower IQ.

• Non-directional: predicts simply a change.

How did you do?

Independent variable IV

Dependent variable DV

Extraneous variable

Confounding variable

REMINDER:Variables: The things that change or vary during the research.

What the researcher measures, changes as a result of the IV.

The researcher changes (manipulates) this variable.

Anything else that influences the DV, a researcher must predict these and try to control them.

An extraneous variable becomes one of these if it is found to influence the DV, despite controls by the researcher.

Matching task

Independent variable IV

Dependent variable DV

Extraneous variable

Confounding variable

What the researcher measures, changes as a result of the IV.

The researcher changes (manipulates) this variable.

Anything else that influences the DV, a researcher must predict these and try to control them.

An extraneous variable becomes one of these if it is found to influence the DV, despite controls by the researcher.

In pairs/threes - apply

• Discuss some potential EXTRANEOUS variables in the different research ideas we came across yesterday.

• Consider what a researcher might do to try to control them and prevent them from becoming CONFOUNDING variables in the research.

need to be observable/measureable.

need to be specified in the hypothesis – how they relate to one and other.

Putting a variable into a measurable form is called OPERATIONALISING the variable.

Task:

AIM: to investigate the relationship between social class and intelligence.

What are the variables? Which is IV and DV?Are they operationalised?

AIM: to investigate the relationship between social class and intelligence.

You have the variables.But are they operationalised?

What is the definition of social class?

What is the definition of intelligence?

Task:

If social class is OPERATIONALISED as ‘annual family income’ and Intelligence is OPERATIONALISED by ‘score on a standard IQ test’

1. What would our much clearer AIM become?2. Write the hypotheses for this research. a. directional one,

b. non-directional one,c. the null.

Exam tips

You will be asked to create directional and non-directional hypotheses.

Within this, you will be expected to operationalise the variables in the hypotheses.

AIM: To describe the effects of stress on

memory.

HYPOTHESIS: The more stressed we are, the

worse our memory will be.

Operationalise the variables in the study yesterday:

HELP?

Memory: remember a list of words, remembering items revealed earlier and noting which are missing?

Directional or non – directional?

• Eating potatoes for dinner makes you sleep more.

• Eating potatoes for dinner alters the amount you sleep.

Evaluation of directional:- harder to support, easier to

reject.+ if support is found it is

regarded highly.

To note:• Directional hypothesis AKA one-tailed

hypothesis.• Non-directional hypothesis AKA two-tailed

hypothesis.

Evaluation of non-directional:+ if a researcher thinks something might happen but not sure what.- not regarded so highly, easier to

accept.

To note:• Directional hypothesis AKA one-tailed

hypothesis.• Non-directional hypothesis AKA two-tailed

hypothesis.

Pilot study?

How might a researcher get an idea of a direction of the

change they might find?

This way, they could have a directional hypothesis =

optimal.

People who take part in research = participants.

SAMPLING• Participant sampling is important in

psychological research.

Why?What do you want your participant group to be?

Population = the group of people your participants come from.

• Typical• Representative• Cross section of people

= can generalise findings to general population.

IF NOT: Sample bias

Pg. 16-17 textbook.

• Read and take notes on one sampling method for sharing with the group.

• Random• Opportunity• Volunteer

Documents

Course outline, a os, aims, hyps, iv, dv, sampling