Page 49 - Understanding Psychology

What Is Research?
Reader’s Guide
Exploring Psychology
Do You Act This Way?
There are some chimps who, far more than others, constantly seem to try to ingratiate themselves with [win over] their superiors. Melissa, for one, particularly when she was young, used to hurry toward and lay her hand on the back or head of an adult male almost every time one passed anywhere near her. If he turned toward her, she often drew her
lips back into a submissive grin as well. Presumably Melissa, like the other chimps who constantly attempt to ingratiate themselves in this way, is simply ill at ease in the presence of a social superior, so that she constantly seeks reassurance through physical contact. . . . There is much con- troversy as to how the human smile has evolved. It seems fairly certain, though, that we have two rather different kinds of smiles, . . . We smile when we are amused and we smile when we are slightly ner- vous, on edge, apprehensive. . . .
—from In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall, 1988
s Main Idea
Psychologists must first decide how to approach the research issue. Then psy- chologists conduct the research in one of a variety of ways to test a hypothesis, solve a problem, or confirm previous findings.
s Vocabulary
• sample
• naturalistic observation
• case study
• survey
• longitudinal study
• cross-sectional study
• correlation
• hypothesis
• variable
• experimental group
• control group
s Objectives
• Describe the process of psychological
research and the scientific method.
• Name the different types of psycho-
logical research.
Jane Goodall observed the behavior of chimpanzees in Tanzania, Africa, to obtain data. She observed the behavior of chimps over a period of 30 years and provided much information about the animals’ lives. Whereas Goodall used the research method of naturalistic observation, other scientists conduct experiments and surveys. All of these researchers, however, follow scientific methods.
Chapter 2 / Psychological Research Methods and Statistics 35