Research

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Research
Methods
in
Psychology


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The Scientific Method

• an organized way of using experience and testing
  ideas to increase knowledge

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The Scientific Method

• Identifying questions of interest
• Formulate an explanation
• Carry out research designed to support or refute
  the explanation
• 4. Communicate the findings

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The Scientific Method
1. Identifying questions of interest
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The Scientific Method
2. Formulate an explanation
A theory is a formulation of the relationships
and principles that underlie observed events
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The Scientific Method
Reword research question into an
hypothesis.
An hypothesis is a specific statement about
behavior or mental processes that is tested
through research
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The Scientific Method
Create an operational definition.
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The Scientific Method

• 3. Test the hypothesis

• Use controlled
• methods such as
• naturalistic observation
• or experiment

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The Scientific Method
4. Analyze the data and draw conclusions
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Psychological Research
A systematic study aimed at the discovery of new
knowledge.
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Descriptive Methods
1. Archival Research
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Descriptive Methods
2. The Naturalistic-Observation method
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Descriptive Methods
3. Surveys
The individuals who are studied are called a
sample.
A sample is a segment of a population.
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Descriptive Methods
Representative sample
Random sampling
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Descriptive Methods
4. Case Studies
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Descriptive Methods
5. The Correlational Method
Studies the relationship between variables
The variables are mathematically related and
expressed as correlation coefficients.
A correlation coefficient is a number between
1.00 and 1.00 that expresses the strength and
direction (positive or negative) of the
relationship between two variables.
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Descriptive Methods
A positive correlation is a relationship
between variables in which one variable increases
as the other also increases.
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Descriptive Methods
A negative correlation is a relationship
between two variables in which one variable
increases as the other decreases.
Correlational research may suggest but does not
show cause and effect.
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Experimental Method
The Experimental Method
An experiment is a scientific method that seeks
to confirm cause and effect relationships by
introducing independent variables and observing
their effects on dependent variables.
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Experimental Method

• A treatment is a condition received by
  participants so that its effects may be observed.
  

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Experimental Method
Experimental and Control Groups
Experimental participants partake in the
treatment, control groups do not.
All other conditions are held constant for both
groups.
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Experimental Method
A variable is a condition that is measured or
controlled in a scientific study
An operational definition is a definition of a
variable in terms of methods used to create or
measure that variable
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Experimental Method
An independent variable is a condition that is
manipulated so that its effects may be observed.
A dependent variable is the measured results, or
outcomes, in an experiment.
A placebo is a bogus treatment that has the
appearance of being genuine.
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Experimental Method
Blind Study
Well designed experiments control for the effects
of participant expectations by creating
conditions under which participants are unaware
of the treatment and are called single blind
studies.
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Experimental Method
Double Blind Study
Researchers may have expectations and may subtly
influence outcomes (experimenter expectations).
Studies in which both participants and
experimenters are unaware of who has obtained the
treatment are called double-blind studies.
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Ethics in Psychological Research
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The End