Macmillan Online Learning Center for Unit 2
Reading Guides - Unit 2: Research Methods
Module 5 (pp. 38-43) Read this section IN DEPTH
Focus question for Correlation: What are positive and negative correlations, and why do they enable prediction but not cause-effect explanation? – make sure you can answer this. Define correlation, correlation coefficient, and scatterplot. Make sure to look at the scatterplots (top of p. 47) to get a visual of what a positive correlation, negative correlation, and no relationship look like. Also, you need to know what the range is and what -1, +1 means, in terms of correlation coefficient. Practice on Table 6.2 (p. 48).
Module 7 (pp. 56-61) SKIM pp.56-58 (up until Measures of Variation) for the following information:
Read pp. 58 (Measures of Variation) -61 IN DEPTH
Module 8 (pp. 64-69) For this section, SKIM or READ to answer the following focus questions:
Module 5 (pp. 38-43) Read this section IN DEPTH
- The Scientific Method: make sure to include the terms in bold (theory, hypothesis, operation definition – this is an important one to understand--, replication) and understand how to form a good theory and how to test a hypothesis (p. 39).
- For each of the three research methods (case study, naturalistic observation, and surveys/interviews), make sure you understand:
- Goal or purpose of the method (for example, the goal and purpose of a case study is to examine one individual group in depth to reveal larger truths).
- An example from the textbook (for example, Jane Goodall’s observation of chimpanzees).
- Possible limitations of the method (for example, the wording of a survey can effect people’s expressed opinions)
- Make sure to understand the purpose of random sampling, and define sampling bias, population, and random sample.
Focus question for Correlation: What are positive and negative correlations, and why do they enable prediction but not cause-effect explanation? – make sure you can answer this. Define correlation, correlation coefficient, and scatterplot. Make sure to look at the scatterplots (top of p. 47) to get a visual of what a positive correlation, negative correlation, and no relationship look like. Also, you need to know what the range is and what -1, +1 means, in terms of correlation coefficient. Practice on Table 6.2 (p. 48).
- Correlation and Causation: Make sure to read and take notes on the point to remember on the bottom of page 49.
- Come up with a few examples of illusory correlation.
- Experimentation: Define the terms (experiment, experimental group, control group, random assignment, double-blind procedure, placebo effect). Also, make sure to understand the difference between correlational studies and an experiment.
- Independent and dependent variables: know the difference between independent variable, dependent variable, and confounding variable. The “Let’s recap” on the bottom of page 53 is a helpful summary.
- Make sure to look at Table 6.3 on p.53 and review the differences between descriptive, correlational, and experimental research methods.
Module 7 (pp. 56-61) SKIM pp.56-58 (up until Measures of Variation) for the following information:
- Why do we need statistics?
- Define descriptive statistics, histogram, and skewed.
- Define and know the difference between mode, mean, and median.
Read pp. 58 (Measures of Variation) -61 IN DEPTH
- Why do we need to understand the amount of variation in data, and why is standard deviation more informative than mean alone? Look at Table 7.1 (p. 59) for a visual of this concept.
- Define range, standard deviation, skewed distribution, and normal curve.
- Inferential Statistics: know the three principles and define statistical significance; understand when psychologists typically see a finding as “statistically significant.”
Module 8 (pp. 64-69) For this section, SKIM or READ to answer the following focus questions:
- How can laboratory experiments illuminate every day life, and what is an experimenter’s purpose?
- What is meant by the following: It is the resulting principles, not the specific findings, that help explain everyday behavior? (p. 65)
- What is the connection between culture and gender?
- Why do psychologists study animals, and what are the ethical guidelines for experiments involving animals?
- What ethical guidelines safeguard human participants? Make sure to define informed consent and debriefing.