Search results for: disorders

Quasi-Experimental Design Quasi designs fair better than pre-experimental studies in that they employ a means to compare groups.  They fall short, however on one very important aspect of the experiment: randomization. Pretest Posttest Nonequivalent Group. With this design, both a control group and an experimental group is compared, however, the groups are chosen and assigned…

Software Tools of Research The software tools of research are typically more abundant than hardware tools in the social sciences.  Software is usually thought of to mean computer programs that tell the hardware what to do, but any tool not related to a physical device can be considered software.  Included in this category is statistical…

The Search for Self-Understanding All of the personality theories discussed in this text have one thing in common: They are all designed to explain who we are in man’s quest for improved self-understanding.  Many focus on the why of personality, such as Freud’s idea of psychosexual stages or Erikson’s crises that continue in different forms…

From Theory to Research to Practice The definition of personality refers to an enduring pattern of interacting with the self and the world.  Personality, by definition, in somewhat rigid and difficult to change.  Every one of us can identify aspects of our own personality that we see as positive and healthy as well as those…

Cognitive Theory, or How to Change Your Mind As you read, the basic premise behind cognitive theory is the idea that the way we think about or perceive ourselves and others, determines how we respond to the world with our emotions and behaviors.  The goal of any treatment would have to include changing the way…

Since the only thing worth measuring in behavioral theory is behavior, it is only logical that the one thing behaviorists focus on changing is also behavior.  Behavior modification is the generic term given any process derived from learning theory where the goal is to change a person’s behavior or the way he or she interacts…

Section 1: Introduction to Biological Theory Biological Theory: An Introduction We start with biological theory for two reasons.  First, the theory that our genetic makeup determines, at least in part, our personality has been a strong belief among theorists for thousands of years.  Secondly, one of the first questions Personality students often ask is what…

Assessment Basics Many of us have taken some sort of psychological test, whether for mental health reasons, potential employment, job evaluations, or research.  Their are basically three reasons that assessment devices are developed.  If you recall the five goals of psychology (describe, explain, predict, control, improve), you’ll see how they are directed related to these…

Section 1: Gaining Knowledge through Research Influence of Research on Psychology Psychology is not an absolute science and is often referred to as a ‘Social Science’ or a ‘Soft Science.’  This is because it deals with human thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and as we are all aware, humans are not always predictable and reliable.  Instead,…