CH 4

What are the 4 study designs?

Case study (individuals) Correlational Study (variables not manipulated) Epidemiological Study Experimental Study

what is Pseudoscience

-displays an indifference to facts -is based on sloppy "research" -starts with a hypothesis and then looks for items which appear to support it -Is indifferent to criteria of valid evidence -Avoids putting its claims to a meaningful test -Often contradicts itself -Deliberately creates mystery where none exists -Does not progress -Attempts to persuade with rhetoric, propaganda, and misrepresentation rather than with valid evidence -Appeals to emotion or distrust of established fact

what are the 6 steps for the Research Process

1)Develop hypotheses (Null= no effect. it is the opposite of the hypo) 2)Select measures of key variables (operational definition -Independent Variable (predictor of DV or what you manipulated) -Dependent Variable (variable being predicted) 3)Select a research design 4)Select a study sample 5)Test the hypothesis I6)nterpret and disseminate the finding

Pseudoscience

Failures are ignored, hidden, lied about, discounted, explained away, rationalized, conveniently forgotten Results cannot be reproduced or verified Methods leading to conclusions are intentionally vaguely described so that one cannot figure out what was done (how the conclusion was drawn) Appeals to belief, emotion, faith, You must believe in spite of the facts The original idea is never abandoned Might take advantage of the market by making emotional claims or using scare tactics

Science

Findings are studied carefully because incorrect theories can often make correct predictions by accident, but no correct theory will make incorrect predictions Correcting and evolving over time. Reproducible results are demanded; experiments must be described so they can be duplicated and improved upon Appeals to evidence, logical or mathematical reasoning, hard data When old ideas are contradicted by new data, the old ideas are abandoned Does not advocate or market unproven practices or products

What is Epistemology

Study of how we come to know something What is your basis for believing something? Anecdotal evidence (an anecdote to something) Appeals to tradition (people always do it) Appeals to authority (the FDA approved it, so its true) Appeals to science (science says it!)

Epidemiological Study

Study the frequency and distribution of a disorder in a population Concerned with three major features: Prevalence -during a given time period, what proportion of the population has the disorder (12 month, lifetime)? Incidence- in a given time period, how many new cases are there? Risk factors (not necessarily causal!) Involves manipulation of one or more IVs to determine their effect on one or more DVs CAN infer causation 2 main uses in clinical psychology research Experimental psychopathology Treatment outcome research