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Introduction to Computer Graphics Definition Computers accept process, transform and present information. Computer Graphics involves technology to accept, process, transform and present information in a visual form that also concerns with producing images (or animations) using a computer. Why Study Computer Graphics? There are certain important reasons to study computer graphics. We will discuss them [...]

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY APPLIED: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN CLINIC Aims: • To understand the use of social psychology theories and principles in clinical settings Objectives: To discuss clinician’s biases in making clinical judgments To discuss the relationship of faulty cognitions and mental and physical illness To describe social-psychological approaches to reverse the maladaptive patterns of behavior To [...]

PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR (CONTINUE………) Aims To introduce psychological aspects of prosocial behaviour Objectives Discuss different explanations of helping behavior: Why do we help? Evaluate the Bystander Intervention Model Discuss two psychological processes that can prevent helping Describe Emotional arousal & Cost-Reward Assessments in the process of prosocial behavior Describe the individual variables affecting prosocial behavior: Who [...]

PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR Aims To introduce psychological aspects of prosocial behaviour Objectives Describe different types of helping behaviour Discuss different explanations of helping behavior: Why do we help? Evaluate the Bystander Intervention Model Prosocial Behavior: Chapter Summary This chapter discusses the basics of helping behavior. Altruism is distinguished from prosocial behavior. Several theoretical perspectives on helping [...]

REDUCING AGGRESSION Aims • To introduce different social and psychological strategies to reduce aggression. Objectives • Describe various methods to reduce aggression: punishment, inducing incompatible responses, reducing frustration, and teaching of non aggressive responses Introduction Legal systems throughout the world use punishment to deal with violent criminals. The most common treatment is punishment; ultimate punishment [...]

SOCIAL INFLUENCE (CONTINUE……) Aims Introduce the concept of obedience in reference to social influence Objectives Describe the classic studies of obedience Describe factors that influence obedience Obedience Many social influences are hidden and subtly employed. For example, conformity generally refers to complying with an implicit norm. Obedience is different from other types of influences because [...]

INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION Aims To introduce the concept of interpersonal attraction and related concepts Objectives To explain what is interpersonal attraction. To discuss the reasons for affiliation. To describe factors influencing our affiliation desires. To discuss the characteristics of the situation which attract us. What is Interpersonal attraction? Definition: Interpersonal attraction is the desire to approach [...]

REPORT WRITING Although every report is custom-made for the project it represents, some conventions of report format are universal. These conventions have developed over a long period of time, and they represent a consensus about what parts are necessary to a good research report and how they should be ordered. The consensus is not an [...]

ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR Aims: Introducing the concept of relationship between attitude and behavior. Objectives Describe models of the relationship between attitudes and behavior Understanding factors determining link between attitude and behavior. The Attitude-Behaviour Relationship During the 1970s a crisis of “confidence” in the attitude concept developed as a result of weak relationship between attitude and [...]

FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION A visitor to a locality stops by a house and inquires about the address of a resident he wants to see. May be he starts talking with a couple of persons asking for their help. In the meantime, some other passersby, or coming out of other houses join, showing their curiosity about [...]

OBSERVATION STUDIES/FIELD RESEARCH Observation studies are primarily part of qualitative research. Though qualitative and quantitative researches differ yet they compliment each other. Qualitative research produces soft data: impressions, words, sentences, photos, symbols. Usually it follows an interpretive approach, the goal of which is to develop an understanding of social life and discover how people construct [...]

ATTITUDE FORMATION Aims To introduce the main theoretical approaches to the study of attitudes Objectives Evaluate the theories of attitude formation and function To understand the concepts through applied social psychology lab. Attitude formation: In the following, different theories about how attitudes are formed have been explained. 1) Mere exposure (Robert Zajonc, 1968) The tendency [...]

USE OF SECONDARY DATA Existing statistics/documents Prior to the discussion of secondary data, let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of the use of content analysis that was covered in the last lecture. In a way content analysis is also the study of documents through which the writers try to communicate, though some of [...]

EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH (Cont.) Steps in Conducting an Experiment Following the basic steps of the research process, experimenters decide on a topic, narrow it into a testable research problem or question, and then develop a hypothesis with variables. Once a researcher has the hypothesis, the steps of experimental research are clear. Broadly there are about 12 [...]

TYPES OF PROBABILITY SAMPLING Probability samples that rely on random processes require more work than nonrandom ones. A researcher must identify specific sampling elements (e.g. persons) to include in the sample. For example, if conducting a telephone survey, the researcher needs to try to reach the specific sampled person, by calling back several times, to [...]

PROBABILITY AND NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING There are several alternative ways of taking a sample. The major alternative sampling plans may be grouped into probability techniques and non-probability techniques. In probability sampling every element in the population has a known nonzero probability of selection. The simple random is the best known probability sample, in which each member [...]

SAMPLE AND SAMPLING TERMINOLOGY A sample is a subset, or some part, of a larger whole. A larger whole could be anything out which sample is taken. That ‘whole’ could be a bucket of water, a bag of sugar, a group of organizations, a group of students, a group of customers, or a group mid-level [...]

ATTITUDES Aims To introduce the concept of attitudes, components, and ways of assessment. Objectives To discuss definition of an attitude and its components To describe direct and indirect methods of assessing attitudes. Discussion about new section “Evaluating Persons and Relationships” of study in Social Psychology Since with the study of Attitudes, a new section is [...]

PILOT TESTING OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE Pilot testing also called pre-testing means small scale trial run of a particular component; here we are referring to pilot testing of the questionnaire. Conventional wisdom suggests that pre-testing not only is an established practice for discovering errors but also is useful for extra training the research team. Ironically, professionals [...]

SURVEY RESEARCH Research Design can be classified by the approach used to gather primary data. There are really two alternatives. We can observe conditions, behavior, events, people, or processes. Or we can communicate with people about various topics, including participants’ attitudes, motivations, intentions, and expectations. The communication approach involves surveying people and recording their responses [...]

RESEARCH DESIGN A research design is a master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the data. It is a strategy or blueprint that plans the action for carrying through the research project data. A research design involves a series of rational decision-making choices depending upon the various options available to the [...]

ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH (Cont) Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about our behavior and our relationships with others. The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities. This objective is usually achieved. However, unethical activities are pervasive [...]

ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about our behavior and our relationships with others. The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities. This objective is usually achieved. However, unethical activities are pervasive and [...]

THE RESEARCH PROCESS Research task is usually treated as a sequential process involving several clearly defined steps. No one claims that research requires completion of each step before going to the next. Recycling, circumventing, and skipping occur. Some steps are begun out of sequence, some are carried out simultaneously, and some may be omitted. Despite [...]

PROBLEM DEFINITION AND RESEARCH PROPOSAL The research process consists of a number of steps. The first step in any research is selecting the topic, which could start from the broad area of interest. There is no set formula for the identification of a topic of research. The best guide is to conduct research on something [...]

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A theoretical framework is conceptual model of how one theorizes or makes logical sense of the relationships among several factors that have been identified as important to the problem under study. These factors which may also be called as variables may have been identified through such processes as interviews with informants, observations, and [...]

REVIEW OF LITERATURE A literature review is based on the assumption that knowledge accumulates and that we learn from and build on what others have done. Scientific research is a collective effort of many researchers who share their results with one another and who pursue knowledge as a community. Today’s studies build on those of [...]

ATTITUDES Aims To introduce the concept of attitudes, components, and ways of assessment. Objectives • To discuss definition of an attitude and its components • To describe direct and indirect methods of assessing attitudes. Discussion about new section “Evaluating Persons and Relationships” of study in Social Psychology Since with the study of Attitudes, a new [...]

SCIENTIFIC METHOD OF RESEARCH & ITS SPECIAL FEATURES Research produces knowledge which could be used for the solution of problems as well as for the generation of universal theories, principles and laws. But all knowledge is not science. The critical factor that separates scientific knowledge from other ways of acquiring knowledge is that it uses [...]

INTRODUCTION, DEFINITION & VALUE OF RESEARCH Whether we are aware of it or not, we are surrounded by research. Educators, administrators, government officials, business leaders, human service providers, health care professionals, regularly use social research findings in their jobs. Social research can be used to raise children, reduce crime, improve public health, sell products, improve [...]