If you look at
the outline of Module 2 on p. 26 in our textbook, you can see
that the basic psychology
you should learn from this chapter is
how psychologists study behavior including the various ways of collecting
data, the pros and cons of different methods, what correlations are and
how they are used in research, details on how to conduct an experiment,
and issues to keep in mind when you hear or read about research findings
in other contexts. Plotnik chose to use 2 quite different
specific
examples to illustrate these research methods and evaluating the evidence
(or lack of evidence) made for claims about behavior :
1) attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder and 2) placebo (or expectancy) effects.
You should learn about those special topics and how they are examples of
the research methods and issues in the module.
So after browsing the overall outline
of the module, this is what I would include in my notes (in a shorthand
condensed version, not long sentences). Aim for understanding the material,
not just rote memorization.
The characteristics of ADHD and specific examples of behaviors
associated with ADHD:
The characteristics of these research methods and the
advantages and disadvantages of each.
Characteristics
Advantages
Disadvantages/Cautions
1) Survey (via interview or questionnaire)
2) Case Study
3) Experiment
What a placebo is:
What a placebo effect is:
What a correlation is:
What a correlation coefficient is and what the numbers
mean:
What a positive correlation means:
What a negative correlation means:
Why correlations are useful:
Limitations of correlations:
Pros & cons of research done in naturalistic settings
vs laboratory settings
The components and steps involved in conducting an experiment
(and understand the Ritalin experiment example)
ADHD Controversies
1)
2)
3)
Other module terms:
testimonial
self-fulfilling prophecy
standardized test
animal model
APA code of ethics
debriefing