CH 2 Where to Start

What is a Theory?

Consists of a systematic body of ideas about a particular topic or phenomenon. It is a detailed explanation of why something is or do. - Theories organize and explain a variety of specific facts or descriptions of behavior - Example Theory of memory: Introduces idea of short and long term memory and how doing certain tasks can improve them. This is a lot of information and systematic concepts that all work together under one single theory.

What is a research question?

The first and most general step in designing and conducting a research investigation - First, start by asking a broad question, like "What causes depression?" - That is a huge question so you will do research and find a small area where there is not much info and focus on that making a long a specific research question "Is depression related to unhelpful ways of thinking about the causes of success and failure?"

What is Common Sense?

These are ideas that we ingrain in to our head to be true, more like common saying or analogies, but we should question them and see if they can be tested and backed by data to be supported. - Doing this can upon up new doors because Common Sense are more like Heuristics, shortcuts in knowledge but there are areas that could be overlooked

What is a Prediction?

This is done after a study is completely designed, taking account of participants, methods, variables, measurements etc. - Once you know that variables are related, you can make predictions of what will happen when you manipulate your independent variables, as in adding additional levels and stuff. ex: participants who are depressed will score higher on this test that shows they think good stuff happens due to luck and bad things happen due to being a loser - If the predictions are confirmed by the results, then that supports the Hypothesis. So these are like certain things that should be true in order for your main answer (hypothesis) to be true. - if the predictions are not true, then throw away the Hypothesis or use other methods to see if you can get better results

What is a Hypothesis?

A hypothesis is an answer that logically thinking about answers the research question but still has no evidence to back it up. This answer is kind of like your goal, you have to use evidence now to try and prove that this is true. Ex: "Depression is related to the types of attributions made about success and failure experiences" - Once the hypothesis is stated, the researcher can design a study to test it

For the following Idioms, interpret them, write a hypothesis, make a prediction 1) Spare the rod, spoil the child 2) Absence makes the heart grow fonder

1) Generally, a way of saying that children need to be disciplined when misbehaving. Otherwise, they will become spoiled and will always act out to get their own way. A more literal interpretation is that physical punishment is an effective way of changing behavior in children - Parent use of physical punishment IS RELATED to less anti-social behavior in adolescence and adulthood. - Adolescents who indicate that their parents used higher amounts of punishment for misbehaving will be described by their teacher a less aggressive and disruptive in the classroom and when interacting with peers. 2)Physical separation enhances romantic emotional feelings - Physical and psychological separations of romantic partners IS RELATED to romantic attraction - Romantic partners who have been together for more than a year will report higher levels of romantic attraction when isolated from one-another for one-week.

What are the Learning Objectives?

1) How are research questions, hypotheses, and predictions related? 2) What is common sense, observation, theories, past research, and practical problems 3) Identify the two functions of a theory 4) Describe the three kinds of research reports 5) Know Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion