Scientific Method

Bell ringer Write what you know

about the scientific method. How do you think it relates to psychology?

Take out a scratch piece of paper

Write a question you have about human behavior

EX: why did I/he/she. They do that? Think that? Live that way?

Fold your paper

Trade with up to five people without looking at the questions

Open your questions and read share them with the people around you

Discuss the questions/answers Pick the question your group

finds most interesting or intriguing

Read question out loud

Discuss how different psychologists would analyze

Scientific Method: Step 1

Select a topic

Step 2: Develop a theory and

Hypothesis

Theory: An organized system of ideas that seeks to explain why two or more events are related

EX: low self-esteem feeds depression

Hypothesis: An educated prediction about the nature of things based on a theory

Testable, makes a prediction, variables are specific

EX: People with low self-esteem score higher on a depression scale

Try it out! Write a hypothesis for the question you wrote

Write a hypothesis for one of the scientific questions

Does the size of a classroom affect learning?

Does age affect fundraising? Create one in your group

(topic, theory, hypothesis,)

Step 3 Select a scientific

method and consider ethical issues

Method: Laboratory or natural setting

Sample: The group of subjects who are selected to participate

Random selection/sample: sample that fairly represents a population because all people have an equal chance of being chosen

Variables: Factors in study that can be measured and are capable of changing

How do we know our biases aren’t affecting the outcome??

Operational Definition: A very clear description of how a variable is measured

EX: How is aggression measured in a study on TV’s influence on violence

Replication: operational definition allows another researcher to repeat the study and test the findings

Is the Experiment ethical

Studies evaluated by a panel of scientists and non scientists

Priority always given to welfare of participants

****Handouts on human and animal guidelines (Is your experiment ethical?)

****Analyze Zimbardo Experiment

Step 4 Collect and Analyze

data Report results