PYC3704 – Psychological Research
Topic 1
Inferential Statistics – concerned with inferring numerical properties of statistical populations from
sample data
Theory:
Accounts for facts and suggest how they are related to each other. A framework of ideas
that provides an explanation of something
The theory – if true – implies what we should observe under certain specific circumstances
Psychological research:
Testing theories of human behaviour / testing of theories against observations
Purpose is to gather and organise data o
Build theories and test them empirically, through observation
Theory: A network of postulated relations between constructs / concepts / variables
Constructs:
building blocks of theory
theoretical in nature
deliberately created / proposed to explain certain observations
often refer to a hypothetical aspect of a person / situation
cannot be observed, has to be inferred from behaviour
i.e. anxiety = sweat, empty sensation in stomach, heart palpitations are all symptoms caused
by unseen underlying process
Anxiety = LATENT variable - hidden / intervening
Behaviour instances of sweating / palpitations = MANIFEST variables
Variable aka indicators / referents / observable consequences / implications
Based on the observable behaviour of an abstract construct / concept – we can derive an
anxiety score
To arrive at a score – we must provide a measured operational definition of the construct; a
measurement model for each construct
By identifying observable behavioural instances of a construct – one can measure it
DEPENDENT VARIABLE - Variable that is influenced – the EFFECT
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE – Variable that influences – the CAUSE
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION : Specifying observable instances of a construct
2 KINDS
1. THEORETICAL definition of a construct – where a construct is defined in terms of other
constructs
2. OPERATIONAL definition of psychological constructs – constructs defined in terms of
observable instances (necessary for measurement) - allows us to bridge the gap between
theoretical constructs and observations by spelling out what must be done to measure the
construct
OPERATIONALISING OF CONSTRUCTS – process followed to make abstract concepts
empirically observable – making them measurable – transforming theoretical constructs into
empirical constructs
INDICATOR – an observable measure of a construct
Topic 1
Inferential Statistics – concerned with inferring numerical properties of statistical populations from
sample data
Theory:
Accounts for facts and suggest how they are related to each other. A framework of ideas
that provides an explanation of something
The theory – if true – implies what we should observe under certain specific circumstances
Psychological research:
Testing theories of human behaviour / testing of theories against observations
Purpose is to gather and organise data o
Build theories and test them empirically, through observation
Theory: A network of postulated relations between constructs / concepts / variables
Constructs:
building blocks of theory
theoretical in nature
deliberately created / proposed to explain certain observations
often refer to a hypothetical aspect of a person / situation
cannot be observed, has to be inferred from behaviour
i.e. anxiety = sweat, empty sensation in stomach, heart palpitations are all symptoms caused
by unseen underlying process
Anxiety = LATENT variable - hidden / intervening
Behaviour instances of sweating / palpitations = MANIFEST variables
Variable aka indicators / referents / observable consequences / implications
Based on the observable behaviour of an abstract construct / concept – we can derive an
anxiety score
To arrive at a score – we must provide a measured operational definition of the construct; a
measurement model for each construct
By identifying observable behavioural instances of a construct – one can measure it
DEPENDENT VARIABLE - Variable that is influenced – the EFFECT
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE – Variable that influences – the CAUSE
OPERATIONAL DEFINITION : Specifying observable instances of a construct
2 KINDS
1. THEORETICAL definition of a construct – where a construct is defined in terms of other
constructs
2. OPERATIONAL definition of psychological constructs – constructs defined in terms of
observable instances (necessary for measurement) - allows us to bridge the gap between
theoretical constructs and observations by spelling out what must be done to measure the
construct
OPERATIONALISING OF CONSTRUCTS – process followed to make abstract concepts
empirically observable – making them measurable – transforming theoretical constructs into
empirical constructs
INDICATOR – an observable measure of a construct
