Module B

Contents

	Introduction		Task 3
	Objectives		Activity B:1 Definition
	Task 1		Task 4
	Task 2		Task 5

Introduction

Our major concern this week will be to develop some notions about methods of psychology. To some extent these methods are various but tend to be inter-related with the theoretical approach or school of the investigator - say for example, the psychoanalyst has a position on what she sees as the subject matter of her discipline and will tend to apply certain methods and analyses in her work. An experimentalist working in the area of sensation might have little to agree with if the two had a discussion. Specialisation leads often to separate perspectives.

The methods section is very important and requires careful reading and re-reading. You will note in the formal writing up of an experiment that one section is dedicated to methodology. All terms used should be unambiguous, all variables defined, all measurements specified, data interpretation should be anticipated and so on. Whether a study can be replicated (repeated by others) or not relies on the careful exposition of methodology. The methodology lies at the heart of the study; it is the logic of the investigation and whether the results are of use (valid, reliable) depends to a large extent on how carefully this section is prepared. Certainly the scientific utility of the study relies heavily upon methods and that is why we emphasise that you have a clear understanding of the terms and concepts related to this important issue.

In relation to methodology you will have to develop very precise concepts about the following terms:

 

variables  experimental design independent variable dependent variable

control group experimental group operational definition

 

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This week's objectives are to:

• be able to outline the scientific approach;
• be aware of key concepts and their place in experimental design;
• be able to identify and assess utility of various forms of research;
• undertake an initial foray into statistics (measures of central tendency and correlation);
• be able to identify flaws in research;
• be aware of the ethical issues surrounding experimentation;
• be able to locate relevant locating research for projects you are doing, such as assignments.

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Task 1

Read Chapter 2 in your text.

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Task 2

Work through Study Guide section.

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Task 3

One concept that is widely regarded as important in psychology is that of the operational definition. Weiten refers to this on page 40. This tactic is widely used through necessity. A complex or inferred condition (e.g. a variable - independent or dependent such as fear) is given numerical extent (measured) by reference to a set of rules which we would argue reliably represent the extent of the condition of interest. It is possible to objectify the condition of fear (a variable which might be aroused to different extents in different people in the same situation) by:

• reference to a measure of skin conductivity (galvanic skin response or GSR) of the subjects (Ss);
• how loudly their yell registers on a sound level device;
• how they rate their fear on a seven point scale from zero to extreme;

Here we enter the somewhat complex area of scaling (how we measure things) and the importance of this general area of concern is related to (you guessed it - statistics). In its attempt to be as scientific as possible much psychology makes use of statistical design and statistical methods. The result section of the experimental report relies in most instances upon statistical resolution for data analysis and outcome interpretation. Science relies considerably upon numerical analyses as a component of its quest for lawful understanding of relationships between events and it is the move away from the qualitative analysis (what I feel about the event) that underlies much of the progress of the sciences.

An important skill in psychology is a clear and sensible approach to problem solving and having the availability to make judicious decisions about operationalising variables in situations of interest enhances one's ability to design useful experiments or critically evaluate the work of others.

A definition from Chaplin (1985) is provided in Activity B:1. The task here is to work your way through the list below realising that there is no one correct answer to how any variable is operationalised. There may, however, be better and worse responses. See how you go.

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operationism: the generalization that the validity of a construct rests on the validity of the procedures used to establish it. Thus, the concept of intelligence has no other meaning than the procedures utilized on a specific test designed to measure intelligence - memory for sentences, vocabulary, reasoning problems, etc. - and is valid only to the extent that those procedures are valid. Thus, intelligence may be defined differently according to the test used.

The term operationism comes from the science of physics, where it was introduced by Percy Bridgman in order to divest physical concepts of spurious and surplus meanings. Thus, resistance has no meaning other than the procedures used to measure it. It is not an entity apart from those measures. Many psychologists believe that the concept of operationism is useful in psychology for divesting psychological terms of validity they do not, in fact, possess. Syn. operationalism.
(Chaplin, 1985)

While you are doing this keep in mind that an operational definition is one that makes it clear how the researcher should go about measuring the process, activity or thing.
 
 

A reminder: We don't want you to design an experiment we just want you to state how we can measure the term objectively.

You might like to post comments about this exercise on the subject Forum.

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Mail Fear Report data (Scroll down to the heading - Assignment 2: Report) to Vern if you have not done so already. Thank you.

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You should have selected your essay topic and be under way on this.
 

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