Psychological research Operational definition: describes the operation that will be used to measure or control a variable Aim of good scientific research is a) clarity and precision and b) relative intolerance of error Peer-reviewed articles have strict guidelines for publishing Scientific theories are unfinished; studies give credibility to the claim, not prove it Multiple studies decrease the likelihood of statistical anomaly Research methods Experimentation: manipulation of an independent variable under carefully controlled conditions Pros: control; can observe cause-and-effect Cons: can be artificial; ethical concerns Direct observation: observers watch and record behaviour as objectively and precisely as possible with no/minimal interference Pros: minimizes artificiality
Chapter 8: Psychology: Themes and Variations, Canadian Edition
Psychological research Operational definition: describes the operation that will be used to measure or control a variable Aim of good scientific research is a) clarity and precision and b) relative intolerance of error Peer-reviewed articles have strict guidelines for publishing Scientific theories are unfinished; studies give credibility to the claim, not prove it Multiple studies decrease the likelihood of statistical anomaly Research methods Experimentation: manipulation of an independent variable under carefully controlled conditions Pros: control; can observe cause-and-effect Cons: can be artificial; ethical concerns Direct observation: observers watch and record behaviour as objectively and precisely as possible with no/minimal interference Pros: minimizes artificiality
Need Help?
We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.
For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.
If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.
Need Notes?
While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!