Sometimes factors other than the IV may influence the DV in an experiment. These unwanted influences are called confounding variables. In laboratory experiments, researchers attempt to minimize their influence by carefully designing their experiment so all conditions are exactly the same – the only thing that’s different is the independent variable. Here are some confounding variables that you need to …
Independent and Dependent Variables
What are independent, dependent variables? The DV is what is being measured. It is the effect in other words. The IV is what is being manipulated by the researcher. In other words, it is the factor that changes in the different conditions of the experiment. The aim of an experiment, therefore, is usually to investigate the effect of the IV on the DV. Take this …
The Experimental Method
What is an experiment? By far the most common research method used in psychology is the experimental method, so we’ll start here for our introduction into research methods unit. You are also going to research, plan, design, conduct and report about your own experiment idea. A study is an experiment when the relationship between two variables is investigated. A variable …
Ethics in Research
What ethical guidelines should researchers follow when conducting research? Modern psychological research in the West needs to follow ethical guidelines set out by research organisations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) or the British Psychological Society (BPS). These are important guidelines that ensure the human and animal rights to subjects involved in psychological research. Considerations when studying humans: Informed consent …
Introduction to Experimental Research Methods
Quantitative methods in psychology are those that deal with quantitative data; in other words they deal with numbers and statistics. The most common form of quantitative research is the experimental method. All the topics of study in this unit will help you build the skills and knowledge that are needed for you to complete the Internal Assessment, where you get …
Quantitative Research Methods Glossary
The following list is a pretty comprehensive list of key terms for research methods in psychology. Please post a comment/question if you notice double-ups, errors and/or omissions. “True” Experiment: this is an experiment that takes place in a controlled environment and the researcher/s manipulate the independent variable to create conditions (e.g. treatment and control groups) to measure the dependent variable. …
Evaluating Case Studies
GLT: Evaluate the use of case studies in qualitative research Here is a document that has links to information about 5 different famous case studies. We will use this in class to learn about case study methodology. Basically, in order to evaluate the use of case studies, you need to be able to: Define the term “case study” Describe …
Lesson Idea: Understanding Observation Methods (HL – Qualitative)
What you need to know… In order to complete this activity you need know about the different observation methods. You can read more about those observations here. It is important for Paper 3 answers that you can apply your knowledge to examples of research. This is a difficult critical thinking skill and is what separates good answers from excellent ones. …
Brain Imaging: All About MRI
Background Information The MRI was invented in 1977 and was a major breakthrough in brain research. MRIs can be used for any part of the body and you may have even had one yourself if you’ve suffered from an injury. However, in psychology they are used to study the brain and this is what our focus will be on. MRIs …
HM and his Hippocampus
Here’s an example SAQ that explains HM’s Case Study. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHrmiy4W9C0&w=560&h=315] You can find more information here… Here’s a wonderfully melo-dramatic re-creation video that tells the story of HM from before his operation to the conclusions of the case study on HM: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mvx-mAUJL8&w=560&h=315] Here is a link to a website that you might find interesting. It is to do with …
Lesson Idea: Understanding the Approaches
This post is adapted from an earlier post. If you’re adopting a thematic approach to the IB Psychology course, you might be wondering: “won’t students get confused about what studies go with each topic?” It’s easy to think this since at first glance the thematic approach appears to be jumbled. But in this post I’ll outline a couple of very …
Exam Tips: Research methods in the biological approach
Understanding research methodology in psychology can be difficult. Hopefully this post will help make things a little clearer. When understanding any topic in psychology, I like to use a basic “What-How-Why” approach. This works particularly well for research methods. Read more: Exam Tips: How to write a research methods essay Lesson idea: Understanding research methods (with worksheet) Biological Approach Research …
Genetics and Ethics
Make sure you have the key questions, learning targets and glossary for this topic. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Whenever you are asked to discuss ethical considerations of any study, you should first remember the APA guidelines we covered during our research work. These are ethical issues when studying humans such as: deception, informed consent, debriefing, confidentiality and right to withdraw. (For genetics …
The Evolution of Attraction
See Chapter 5 of “IB Psychology: A Student’s Guide” for more information. This topic requires you to explain one evolutionary theory of a specific behaviour. One behaviour we look at in my course is sexual attraction because humans have evolved to find certain characteristics of the opposite gender attractive. The characteristics or traits, that are attractive, are those that will …
An Introduction to Brain Imaging
Discuss the use of brain imaging technologies in investigating the relationship between biological factors and behaviour. Three of the important brain imaging technologies you should know about are: MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) PET (Positron Emission Tomography) Discuss the use of, means you can write about a range of issues relating to the use of technology. For example …
Cortisol and Memory
Here’s an interesting study that investigates the impact of cortisol levels of memory encoding and recall.
Cortisol
This article is a good starting point for learning about the role of cortisol in human behaviour.
Melatonin, SAD and the Circadian Rhythm
Melatonin and SAD Here’s a video that defines SAD and gives some symptoms of this disorder. If you are to explain how melatonin can cause SAD, you need to know the symptoms. This is also applicable to the GLT that focuses on how our environment can affect our physiology and how that can in turn affect our behaviour. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVJYojGonxA] …
Oxytocin and Bonding
Here’s an article with some interesting research regarding the role of oxytocin in bonding between fathers and their children. You’ll be able to find even more information about the functions of oxytocin in human behaviour by reading this article. Don’t forget that you need to know supporting research. If you are interested in how this hormone can influence bonding and …
Introduction to Localization of Brain Function
Localization of brain function simply means that different areas of the brain (i.e. locations) are associated with different behaviours and mental processes (functions). For example, Our hippocampus plays a role in memory. The prefrontal cortex is associated with decision making, planning and controlling our impulsive behaviours. The amygdala plays a role in emotion and emotional response. These are just some …
Introduction to Neurotransmission
Neurotransmission is the process by which neurotransmitters are fired from one neuron to another. It’s important that you can explain how varying levels of neurotransmitters in the nervous system (e.g. in the brain) can have an impact on our behaviour. Here’s a quick preview of neurotransmission: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNaFnRKwpFk] You should be able to outline the causes of neurotransmission and the changes …
Answering Questions in IB Psychology: An Introduction
How do we know what we know in Psychology? Research! Throughout this course and in almost every lesson you’re going to be asked to answer questions, such as*: How do levels of serotonin influence behaviour? What causes depression? Can we trust our memory? In answering all of these questions you need to use research to support your answer. Research means …
Hormones: An Introduction
Hormones and the Endocrine system Another key biological factor in understanding behaviour is the endocrine system. Neurons are what make up our nervous systems; glands are what make up our endocrine system. The endocrine system, therefore, is the name given to the various glands throughout the body that regulate and release hormones. You may already be familiar with hormones from …
Introduction to Qualitative Research
Research in psychology can be generally divided in to two major types: Quantitative Qualitative To be it simply, quantiative research deals in investigating human behaviour by looking at numbers and statistics. Experiments, correlational studies, and meta-analyses are some of the quantitative methods used in Psychology. Quantitative research often tries to investigate cause and effects, or correlations between factors and behaviour. Qualitative …
Semi-structured Interviews
Semi-Structured Interview The key to understanding how a semi-structured interview is carried out is to look at the name: it’s semi-structured. This means it has some structure, but there’s freedom. The structure in this interview method comes in the form of the interview guide that is planned beforehand. This guide includes the general themes or topics that the researcher wants …