Chapter 1: Introduction and

Research Methods
 Chapter Overview
 Describe what Psychology is
 Goals of Psychology
 Fields of Psychology

 Research methods of Psychology

 Experiments within Psychology
 Important people of Psychology
 I. Introducing Psychology
 Psychology is  the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes.

 Studying Psychology offers practical solutions

to everyday problems

 Psychologists use the scientific method to

make observations
 I. Introducing Psychology
 Psychology is a social science which
means it is:
 Based on findings that are subjected to
careful scrutiny
 Grounded in facts

 Psychology is not a false science which is

NOT based on facts (astrology)
 I. Introducing Psychology
 Psychologists seek to observe, describe,
explain, predict, and modify behavior and
mental processes
 (4 goals – will be discussed on next slide)
 Psychologists rely on research to learn
whether certain methods will work before
they use them to help people
 I. Introducing Psychology
 4 Goals of Psychology
1. Description – describe particular behaviors
by careful observations
2. Explanation – explain behaviors by
conducting experiments
3. Prediction – predict when a behavior that is
being studied will happen in the future
4. Change – change inappropriate behavior
 I. Introducing Psychology
 Psychologists work in many different fields
but they all focus on studying and
explaining behavior and mental processes

 Behavior is defined as any action that people

can observe or measure, such as walking,
talking, sleeping, and eating
 I. Introducing Psychology
 Fields of Psychology
 Psychologists specialize in several different
areas of practice:
 Clinical:
general health, mental health, child health
 Counseling: business or education institutions
 Sport psychology: athletes
 Experimental psychology: humans, animals
 Cognitive psychology: learning
 Developmental psychology: changes in people’s
lives
 I. Introducing Psychology
 Real World Example
 In 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals employed the
services of a sports psychologist to meet with
players, coaches and staff members.
 The Cardinals won the World Series in 2006.
 Do you think the psychologist made a
difference??
 I. Introducing Psychology
 Actually  Sports psychologists can help
athletes improve performance by measuring
athletes’ heart rates and other body processes
and by interviewing athletes
 Psychologists predict that athletes perform best when
anxiety is moderate
 Psychologists help athletes control their behavior and
mental processes by teaching them how to control
anxiety
 I. Introducing Psychology

Notice clinical psychology is by far the most highly populated

 II. Origins of Psychology
 There are 9 schools of study within
Psychology (each will be described)
1. Structuralism
2. Functionalism
3. Psychoanalytical/Psychodynamic
4. Behavioral
5. Humanistic
6. Cognitive
7. Neuroscience/biopsychology
8. Evolutionary
9. Sociocultural
 II. Origins of Psychology
1. Structuralism – focuses primarily on
investigation of thought processes
2. Functionalism – focuses on the function
of mental processes in adapting the
individual to the environment
3. Psychoanalytical/Psychodynamic –
Examines psychological problems that
are presumed to be caused by conflicts.
Usually aggressive in nature
 II. Origins of Psychology
4. Behavioral – observing behavior through
scientific method
5. Humanistic – stresses free will, self
actualization and positive growth seeking
nature of humans
6. Cognitive – researches areas of thought,
perception and information processing
 II. Origins of Psychology
7. Neuroscience/Biopsychology –
explores the role of biological factors
such as genetics in humans (scientific)
8. Evolutionary – focuses on natural
selection, adaptation, and evolution of
behavior
9. Sociocultural – focuses on social
interactions, cultural determinants, and
mental processes
 II. Origins of Psychology:

 Biopsychosocial
Model: an integrative
model combining the
seven major
perspectives in
contemporary
psychology

Structuralism and Functionalism are not

located on the diagram. These older
schools of thought have now been blended
in with the other 7 schools.
 III. The Science of Psychology
 Psychologists follow scientific procedures
similar to the way other scientists do
 Research and experiments help
investigate cause – and – effect
relationships
 There are two TYPES of research within
psychology  BASIC or APPLIED
 III. The Science of Psychology
 Basic research is conducted to study
theoretical questions without trying to
solve a specific problem (general ideas or
concepts)
 Applied research utilizes the principles
and discoveries of psychology for practical
purposes (finding solutions to real world
problems)
 III. The Science of Psych
 Scientific Method  consists of 6
carefully planned steps
1. Identify question and literature review
2. Develop a testable hypothesis
3. Select a research method and collect data
4. Analyze the data and accept or reject the
hypothesis
5. Publish, replicate and seek scientific review
6. Build a theory
The Scientific Method
 III. The Science of Psych
 Ethical Guidelines when experimenting
 Psychologists must comply with extremely
strict ethical guidelines
 The American Psychological Association
(APA) has published specific guidelines that
must be followed
 There are three areas that are addressed by
the APA
 III. The Science of Psych
 Ethical Guidelines when experimenting
1. Human participants  informed consent,
voluntary participation, debriefing,
confidentiality, and use of students as
subjects
 #1 is the most rigorous guideline because it
deals with the rights of people being studied
2. Animal Rights  cruelty to animals
3. Clients in therapy  confidentiality
 III. The Science of Psych
 When to use Animals in Research
 Only a small number of psychological studies
involve animals
 Psychologists use animals only when there is
no alternative and when they believe the
benefit outweighs the harm
 Most psychological studies that use animals
do not harm the animals
 IV. Research Methods
 We know, psychology research can only
be basic or applied
 There are 4 methods of research within
psychology
1. Experimental
2. Descriptive
3. Correlational
4. Biological
 IV. Research Methods
 Experimental Research is the only method of the
four that can identify cause and effect
 Experimental research consists of several
variables:
 Independent Variables: factors the experimenter
manipulates
 Dependent Variables: measurable behaviors of the
participants
 Experimental controls: include control condition -
participants are treated identically to participants in
experimental condition, except that the independent
variable is not applied to them
 IV. Research Methods
 Experimental Research
 In the experimental condition: all participants
are exposed to the independent variable
 Experimental Group: group that receives a
treatment in an experiment
 Control Group: group that receives no
treatment in an experiment
Example of Experimental Research
 IV. Research Methods
 Descriptive Research: includes several
types of studies to gather data
 Naturalistic Observation is used to study
behavior in its natural habitat
 Surveys use tests, questionnaires, and
interviews to sample a wide variety of
behaviors and attitudes (must choose people
carefully)
 Case study in-depth study of a single
research participant
 IV. Research Methods
 Surveys
 Psychologists conduct surveys by asking
people to fill out written questionnaires or
by interviewing people orally
 By interviewing people with direct questions
psychologists can get information about
people’s attitudes and behaviors
 IV. Research Methods
 Problems with Surveys: the findings of
interviews and questionnaires may not be
completely accurate because…
 People may not be honest about their attitudes or
behavior
 People may limit their responses for privacy
reasons
 People may say what they think the interviewers
want to hear
 IV. Research Methods
 Correlational Research
 Allows scientists to determine the degree of
relationship between variables
 Positive, negative and zero correlations are
discussed when using this type of research
 IV. Research Methods
 Correlation is a major relationship within
psychology

 It CANNOT show a Cause and Effect

Relationship

 Just because two things are related does

not mean one causes the other
 IV. Research Methods
 Biological Research: the scientific study
of psychology
 Studies the brain and nervous system
 Tests used in biological research include:
 Electrical recordings of brain activity (EEG)

 Computed tomography (CT)

 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Four Major Research Methods
 V. Gestalt Psychology
 Gestalt psychology is an alternative to
behaviorism and structuralism
 It is based on the idea that our perceptions of
objects are more than the sum of their parts.
They are wholes that give shape, or meaning, to
the parts
 It was developed by German psychologists Max
Wertheimer and Wolfgang Köhler
 V. Gestalt Psychology
 Gestalt psychology rejects the structuralist idea
that experience can be broken down into
individual parts or elements
 It also rejects the behaviorist idea that only
observable behavior is important
 Gestalt Psychology aims to organize how the
mind organizes pieces of information into
meaningful wholes
V. Gestalt Psychology
 Important People to Know
 Wilhelm Wundt  Considered to be the
“father of modern psychology”
 Founded first psychology lab in Germany
(1879)
 Associated with the Structuralism field of
Psychology

 Sigmund Freud  Founder of

psychoanalytical/psychodynamic
 Important People to Know
 Ivan Pavlov  Leader of the behavior
perspective
 YouTube - Classical Conditioning - Ivan Pavlov
 B.F. Skinner/John Watson
 Both associated with Behavioral psychology
 Watson believed people have 3 reactions: fear, rage,
love
 Skinner believed behavior depends on what happens
are people are exposed to a “stimulus”
 Important People
 Rogers/Maslow  Leaders of the Humanist
perspective

 William James  Published Principles of

Psychology in 1890
 James was a Harvard Professor
 Responsible for giving the first lecture on psychology

 G. Stanley Hall  Founded first American

Psychological lab in John Hopkins Univ.