Scientific Techniques
Survey
Sample of 800 americans were phoned to respond to a questionnare
Cannot offer any insights, into cause and effect relationships
inaccuracy of the data
Misunderstanding of the Question
Poor memory
Intentional Deception
Relies on self report method of data collection
Collect data on aspects of behaviour difficult to observe directly
ex. Suicidal thought
asses attitudes and opinions on a variety of subjects
Used in social and natural sciences
data collected via interviews or questionnare
Inferences about behaviour
Non-experimental descriptive approach
Case study
studying a historical character from historical documents
Faulty data
Data loss from previous records
recorded by different people
No ideas of general group
No cause effect Relationshop
Getting Contextual View
Natural Phenomenon
Individuals
Indepth study of
Physical Phenomenon(Natural Science)
Indivdual (Social Science)
Depends on recorded observations
Not experimental
Naturalistic Observation
Kills finally after four repetions and kills the prey
adult would then attack from the other direction
dive at the fox from behind
Observing wild birds copertivly hunting
Difficult to code results.
Hard not to disrupt the behaviour
Time consuming
describes but doesnt explain
Uses Nature as a Lab
observe normal settings
nonexperimental approach used in real life
records behavior or phenomenon
carefully observe
Correlation
Predators number increases, preys increase because of postivie correlation.
Doesnt prove causation
Often forgotten
Used as prediction
used when unethical or impractical
Descriptive
Non experimental
Statistical tool
Relationship between two or more of behaviors.
Experimental
Example
result: confined birds lose half brain cells compared to environment birds
control group: free birds in natural enviornment
confining some birds with some seeds
Limitations
highly controlled setting, unlike artifical setting of less controlled complex world
can only be used when it is practical and ethical
Strengths
used practically & ethically
to manipulate the variables
detects cause-and-effect relationships
Description
See results of dependent variables affected by the independent.
highly controlled conditions
manipulating a variable (independent)
