How to get an

Experimental Idea

Fearing experimental Ideas

Fears about experimental ideas

are usually irrational, stemming
from
a
misunderstanding
of
psychological experiments.
Psychologists call irrational fears
as phobias.

Fearing experimental Ideas

List of phobias in scientific research:
Geniephobia (Fear of geniuses)
Believe that those who conducted research
are genius and they are afraid to contradict
other writers argument.
Parsimoniophobia (Fear of simplicity)
They think that their research is too simple
and short, that a good research must be
comprehensive.

Fearing experimental Ideas

List of phobias in scientific research:
Culculatophobia (Fear of statistics)
They are afraid to use statistical analysis in
analyzing findings.
Imperfectophobia (Fear of being
imperfect)
Afraid that their research is not perfect, they
keep on trying to improve their study to the
point of not completing it.

Fearing experimental Ideas

There are many other types of phobia:
Imitatophobia
Paraphernaliophobia
Manuphobia
Pseudononphonoscientiaphobia
Please refer to page 43 to 46 for these
phobias.
These phobias hinder us to develop ideas and
limit the exploration of ideas in experiments.

What is the best way to start?

OBSERVATION
Getting experimental ideas is simply a
matter of noticing what goes on around you.
Indeed, some of the classic research in
experimental psychology started with a
simple observation.
Example: Ivan Pavlov classical conditioning
Example:
Jean
Piaget

cognitive
development theory

What is the best way to start?

Observation can be done :

Public observation
Observing yourself
Please read in page 46 to 51.
Observing your friends
Observing pets
Vicarious observation

Getting the experimental ideas by reading

other peoples research.

What is the best way to start?

Vicarious observation is important because:
Your idea has a link with previous researchers.
It shows you are in the right track of research.
Somebody
else
has
already
fit
the
experimental result into the existing body of
knowledge. It saves you time and effort in
structuring area of research.
Gives you extra ideas in modifying the
previous research and use it in your research.

What is the best way to start?

When you search for an idea, you should first
identify an area of research that interests you.
You will then know what types of journals you
should read.
As you read past articles, try to discover what
important questions the research has left
answered.
Example: reading research done by Albert
Bandura, the Bobo Doll Experiment (1961).

What is the best way to start?

Example: reading research done by Albert Bandura, the
Bobo Doll Experiment (1961).

The presence of adult

Aggression

Adult with aggressive behavior

Adult with non-aggressive behavior

Based on this classical experiment, what can you

improve or add to re-do this experiment in todays
situation?

Using theory to get ideas.

In the most typical case the purpose of an experiment
is to test a theory.
What is theory?
Theory is a statement about the probable relationships
among a set of abstract variables.
The theoretical statement is only probable because it is
still subject to testing.
Theory is still subjected to testing and it is not fix.
It serves as
understanding
variables.

a
a

guideline to the researcher

phenomena or relationships

in
of

Using theory to get ideas.

Why we need theories?
The results that comes from experiments
and other types of research are facts, but
these facts need to be organized and
structured.
Theory provides a blueprint

Just randomly arranged pile of bricks is not a building, same as unstructured

collection of facts is not a science

Science is
knowledge

an

organized

body

of

Using theory to get ideas.

Functions of Theories
Understanding
A good theory gives us a deeper sense of understanding. It tells us
"why," as opposed to just "what."
Organization
A good theory helps us to organize, remember, and think about a
variety of phenomena.
Prediction
A good theory allows us to predict what will likely happen in new
situations.
Generation of New Research
A good theory suggests new and interesting hypotheses to test, which
may lead to the discovery of new phenomena and the refinement of
the theory.

The role of induction and deduction

in linking theory to experiment
Refer back to Albert Banduras experiment.
Through observation and several experiments, it leads
us to propose a theory based on this hypothesis:
the more that children observe violent acts, the more
likely they are to display aggressive behavior.
Theory of imitation (Social
Learning Theory)

He came up with this theory through Induction.

Induction method is used in research when we try to
reasoning from specific cases to more general
principles.

The role of induction and deduction in linking theory to

experiment
Observation

Induction

Theory

Please read Induction process in page

55.

The role of induction and deduction

in linking theory to experiment

If you found a good theory, it should allow

you to make a number of predictions.
The logical process by which we make
these predictions is deduction.
Deduction method is used when we try to
reasoning from general principles and to
make prediction using specific cases.
Example: Theory of Proximity

The role of induction and deduction

in linking theory to experiment
Theory

Deduction

Predicted observation

Please read Deduction process in page

55 - 56.

How we link theory and

experiment
Observation

Induction

Searching for ideas

before conducting
experiment

Theory

Deduction

Predicted observation

Experimentation

Test the idea that you

have before conducting
experiment

Types of Theories
There were 3 form of theories:
Descriptive Theories
A descriptive theory simply attaches names to events
without necessarily explaining why or how the events
have occurred.
Example: Sigmund Freud in his Psychoanalytic theory
said that repression occurs when we are unconsciously
refuse to admit painful ideas to conscious thought.
This theory only can describe but can not be tested or
experimented. In what conditions repression occurs?
How to test unconscious thought?

Types of Theories
Analogical Theories
Analogical theories explain how relationships
work by drawing an analogy between a
psychological relationship and a physical
model so that the physical analog becomes a
psychological model of behavior.
Example: Attempting to explain how human
processes information in their brain by making
analogy to computer processing.

Example of analogy between aggression

and physical properties of momentum

The amount of aggression expressed by

the observer
The degree of aggression expressed by
the observer

The force exerted by a moving objects

The mass of the objects

After exposure to aggression, the aggressive tendencies will be high but decrease over time in the same way
that friction overcomes momentum.

Types of Theories
Quantitative Theories
Quantitative theories do attempt to state
relationships in mathematical terms.
Few of psychological theories have reached this
form because psychologists have more difficulty
with variability than do physical scientists.
Psychologists can make prediction of probability
of certain behaviors to occur but not to state
definite based on mathematical calculations.
Please read types of theories in page 58 to 61.

Developing Hypotheses
In
induction
and
deduction
processes,
researchers need to make a prediction what kind
of behaviors that will occur in certain situations.
This prediction is what we call hypothesis.
Hypothesis is a statement about a predicted
relationship between 2 or more variables.
A hypothesis is a specific statement of
prediction. It describes in concrete terms what
you expect will happen in your study.

Developing Hypotheses
Important features of hypothesis
There are 3 forms of developing
hypothesis:
a. Null Alternate forms
b. Experimental Non-experimental
forms
c. Directional Non-directional forms

Developing Hypotheses
Null Alternative Forms
It is generally stated in two forms, alternative
hypothesis (H1) and null hypothesis (H0).
Example:
H0 = There is no effect in eating vitamin
towards antibody systems.
H1 = There is an effect in eating vitamins
towards antibody systems.

Developing Hypotheses
Experimental Non-experimental Forms
In scientific study or experiment, the hypothesis is stated
more formally, also known as Experimental Hypothesis
and must be stated in General Implication Form
(If then).
Example:
Non-Experimental Hypothesis
Eating vitamin C would affect on antibody systems.
Experimental Hypothesis
If vitamin C is taken everyday, then it affect on antibody
systems.

Developing Hypotheses
Directional Non-directional Forms
Whether you are giving direction in your
prediction by stating the direction of
relationships of 2 variables.
Directional hypothesis has the same criteria in
experimental form of hypothesis. You are
predicting by stating the direction of your
expected outcome / result.
If vitamin C is taken everyday, then it have
positive effect on antibody systems.

Operational Definitions
A common complaint:
Psychological variables cannot be measured,
for example honesty. However, if it can be
numerically counted, it can be measured.

One goal of psychological measurement is to

find standard and useful ways to systematically
measure psychological constructs.
Therefore, researcher must provide operation
definition in defining these type of variables

Operational Definitions
Operational definition is a definition of the
variable in terms of how, specifically, it is to
be measured.
Example: Honesty?
An operational definition would specify how
researcher come up with a the score.
For example, respondents score based on
Honesty Scale.