Unit 2 Notes:

Research Methods:

• Hindsight Bias: The tendency to believe, after learning the outcome, that you knew all along.

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• The Barnum Effect: It is the tendency for people to accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate. 
• Applied Research has clear, practical applications.
• Basic Research explores questions that you may be curious about, but not intended to be used immediately.
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This video will tell you the difference between applied and basic research:

Descriptive Research is any research that observes and records. Also, it does not talk about relationships, it describes it. 

• Types of Descriptive Research:

 
1. The Case Study: often includes face to face interviews. its one type of observational data collection technique in which on individual is studied in depth in order to identify behavioral, emotional, and cognitive qualities.
2. The Survey: method for collecting info and data as reported by individuals. 
3. Naturalistic Observation: watches subjects and observe them in their natural habitat. 

Go to these websites for more information: 

1. http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/09/27/the-3-basic-types-of-descriptive-research-methods/
2. http://srmo.sagepub.com/view/encyc-of-case-study-

• Experimental Research: explores cause and effect relationships

• Experimental Method:

1. Blind Study: subjects are unaware if assigned to experimental or control group.
2. Double Blind Study: neither subjects nor experiments know which group is control or experiment. 

• Descriptive Statistics vs. Inferential Statistics:

1. Descriptive Statistics:  describe the results of research
2. Inferential Statistics: are used to make an inference or draw a conclusion beyond the raw data.

Psychological Disorders

• a "harmful dysfunction" in which behavior is judged to be a typical disturbing, maladaptive, and unjustifiable.
• Medical Perspective: psychological disorders are sicknesses and can be diagnosed, treated and cure.
• Bio-psycho-social perspective: assumes biological, psychological and sociocultural factors combine to interact causing psychological disorders.
• DSM-IV: Diagnostic statistical Manual of Mental Disorders