Author: S M Mohsin
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 340
ISBN/UPC (if available): 9788120808751
Description
Psychology acts as a link between the social and biological sciences. As a social science its subject-matter is of the utmost importance in understanding human actions in society, their behaviour as individuals, as members of various groups.
A knowledge of psychology however necessitates a knowledge of the tools of biological sciences as its methodology has been modelled after the biological sciences. Hence a training in laboratory methods is essential for students of psychology.
This book combines the salient features of the methodology of experiments in psychology, the concepts of general experiments in psychology, and the advantage of a laboratory manual.
It aims at developing in the students the understanding and skill to pose a problem, and to plan and conduct an experiment to answer it.
Complete reports of a number of experiments have been given which, though based on hypothetical data, will enable students to realise that every step has a rationale behind it.
Accounts of related problems and, in several cases, description of the ways to answer them, supplement the detailed reports. Aware of the importance of group experiments in the world of today, the author has included experiments highlighting some special features of group experiments like selections of sample, design of group experiments and treatment of group data.
The author has also taken care to avoid use of costly apparatus to carry out the experiments worked out in the book, depending largely on locally improvised materials. This is an invaluable book for students and teachers of psychology.
Contents
I. THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD :
1. What is an Experiment
2. Exploratory and Confirmatory Experiments
3. Dependent and. Independent Variables
4. Ways of Manipulating the Independent Variable
5. Extraneous Variables
6. Experimental Control
7. The Design of Experiments
II. CONDUCTING EXPERIMENTS
1. Formulation of' the Problem
2. The Choice of Design
3. Procedure
4. Utilization of Data
5. Treatment of Result
6. Limits of Chance Difference
7. Standard Error of Difference
8. Critical Ratio
III. REPORTING AN EXPERIMENT :
1. The Importance of Reporting
2. A Model Report : Complex Reaction Time
3. Review of the Report
IV. PSYCHOPHYSICAL EXPERIMENTS :
1. Psychophysics
2. Stimulus Threshold-RL
3. Difference Threshold -DL
4. Weber's Law
5. Fechner's Law
6. The Psychophysical Methods
7. The Method of Average Error
8. The Method of Limit
9. Method of Constant Stimuli
V. ATTENTION :
1. Span of Attention or Apprehension
2. Fluctuation of Attention
3. Doing Two Things at a Time or Division of Attention
VI. PERCEPTION :
1. Form Perception
2. Space Perception
3. Perception of Time
VII. SENSORY-MOTOR LEARNING
1. Learning Curves
2. The Conditioned Reflex
3. Mirror Tracing
4. Maze Learning
VIII. VERBAL LEARNING :
1. Learning Materials
2. Methods of Verbal Learning
3. Serial Position Effect
4. Clustering of Items
5. The Method of Paired Associates-PA
6. Experiments on Verbal Learning
7. Type of Learning Material
8. Methods of Learning
9. Part and Whole Learning
10. Intentional Learning and Incidental Learning
11. Verbal Conditioning ISO
IX. TRANSFER OF TRAINING :
1. Transfer in Sensory-Motor Learning
2. Transfer in Verbal Learning
3. Backward Association in PA Learning
4. Stimulus Generalisation
5. Inter-Serial Inhibition or Facilitation
X. REMEMBERING AND FORGETTING :
1. Methods of Testing Retention
2. Experiments on Remembering and Forgetting
3. Curve of Forgetting
4. Retroactive Inhibition
5. Theory of RI
6. Proactive
7. Inhibition
8. Reminiscence
XI. REACTION TIME :
1. Simple Reaction Time
2. Complex Reaction Time
3. RT as a Function of the Aesthetic Value of a Stimulus
4. RT as a Function of S-R Compatibility
5. Associative Reaction Time
6. Clinical Use of the Word Association Test
XII. FEELING AND EMOTION
1. The Paired Comparison Method
2. Expressions of Emotion
3. Respiration Curve
XIII. WORK AND FATIGUE :
1. Work and Practice
2. Fatigue
3. Ergographic Work
4. Psychomotor Work
5. Mental Work
6. Precision of Movement
XIV. MOTIVATION :
1. Knowledge of Result
2. Effect of Need Tension on Memory
3. Effect of Frustration
4. Per Ceptual Defense
5. Level of Aspiration
XV. THINKING :
1. Problem Solving
2. Concept Formation
3. The Mediation Process