Methods of Psychology

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Chapter 2

• Methods of Psychology

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INTRODUCTION1. What are the qualities of a
good question for a survey?2. What topics are
good for a school survey?
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Research Methods

• Experimental Research
• Naturalistic Observation
• Case Studies
• Interviews
• Psychological Tests
• Surveys and Questionnaires

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The Experimental Research

• An Experiment A controlled situation in which
  the researcher manipulates one variable to
  discover its effect on another variable, while
  holding all other conditions constant.

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TEXTBOOK CASE STUDIES

• Jet Lag
• Insomnia

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Experimental Research

• The experimenter deliberately manipulates a
  variable factors that change in an experiment
  (medication vs. no medication).
• The effect of that manipulation on the other
  variable (depressive symptoms) is then measured.

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Experimental Research

• The independent variable (IF) what is
  controlled researcher changes or varies the
  factor in a study The variable that is
  manipulated by the experimenter.
• The dependent variable (THEN) The variable that
  is measured to see the effect of the independent
  variable (does the group that received the
  medication get better?)

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Experimental Research

• The experimental group receives some treatment
  such as receiving medication or psychotherapy
• The control group is treated exactly the same as
  the experimental group but does NOT receive the
  treatment
• random assignment subjects in the experiment
  must be assigned to groups randomly to avoid
  bias

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The Experimental Research

• Experimental Group This is a group that is
  exposed to the independent variable.
• Control Group This is a group that is not
  exposed to the independent variable.

Control
Control
Experimental
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Experimental Research

• Experimental Group Medication
• Control Group A No Medication
• Control Group B A Placebo
• A placebo is a medicine that has no active
  ingredients and works by the power of suggestion.

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Experimental Research

• sample group of participants (subjects) selected
  to represent the population
• random sample each member of the population has
  an equal chance of being selected for the sample
• representative sample makeup of the sample
  (e.g., proportion of males and females) matches
  the population

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Experimental Research

• A Double-blind Study A study during which
  neither participants nor researchers know to
  which group any subject belongs.

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Experimental Research

• Advantages
• conclusions about causality can be made
• unwanted variables can be controlled or eliminated

• Disadvantages
• ethical issues
• lab situation is artificial and results may not
  generalize to the real world

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Naturalistic Observation Observing and recording
the behavior of people (or animals) in their
natural environment

• Advantages
• we see behavior as it naturally occurs
• no artificial laboratory setting

• Disadvantages
• cannot control all variables
• possible observer biases or error

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Case Studies

• In depth description and analysis of a single
  individual (or a few individuals).
• A method used by Sigmund Freud.
• Main Advantage - detailed understanding of human
  phenomena such as serial killing (e.g., Jeffrey
  Dahmer, or Charles Manson)
• Main Disadvantages - costly, time consuming,
  inaccurate retrospective information

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Interviews

• A research method that involves studying people
  face to face and asking questions.

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Psychological Tests

• Observation and measurement of the subject using
  objective measures (as opposed to an interview).
• Examples IQ Tests, Personality Tests, Job
  Aptitude Tests

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Survey/Questionnaires Questionnaires or Surveys
are administered to a large group of people.

• Advantages
• much information
• inexpensive
• fast and efficient

• Disadvantages
• response biases
• quality of responses

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• Cross sectional method A method of research that
  looks at different age groups at the same time in
  order to understand changes that occur during a
  life span.
• Longitudinal method A method of research the
  studies the same group over and extended period
  of time.

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Stanley Milgrams Obedience Study

• In a 1963 social psychology experiment, subjects
  thought they were shocking another person to
  promote learning.
• Many subjects delivered high level shocks and
  were upset when they later learned the true
  nature of the experiment.
• This study, and other factors, led to much more
  stringent APA research guidelines.

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APA Ethical Guidelines (humans)

• informed consent
• awareness of risks
• confidentiality
• deception can be used ONLY if benefits justify it
  and there is no other way to do the study

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The 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment
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The 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment

• In the early 1970s, Zimbardo recruited normal,
  healthy college students to act as guards and
  prisoners in a mock prison for two weeks. He had
  to end the experiment after six days. The guards
  had become creatively sadistic. They forced the
  prisoners to clean toilet bowls with their hands,
  threw their blankets in nettles, and sexually
  humiliated them in various ways. Five of the nine
  prisoners had emotional breakdowns.

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The 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment

• Three decades later Zimbardo became an expert
  witness on the Abu Ghraib prison, which he found
  to be obscenely similar to his prison.
• http//blogs.earthsky.org/lindsaypatterson/scienc
  e/050417/the-roots-of-evil-can-they-grow-in-you/

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APA Ethical Guidelines (animals)

• Researchers must ensure appropriate
  consideration of the animals comfort, health,
  and humane treatment.
• Animals may not be subjected to pain or stress
  when an alternative procedure is available.

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