Research Methods in Psych

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Research Methods in Psych

• Unit 3 Psychology

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Steps in Psychological research

• Step One IDENTIFY the research problem

• Identify the problem or topic of interest to
  research.
• E.g., ways of improving memory
• Look for reports on other research that may have
  looked into this area.

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Steps in psychological Research

• Step Two FORMULATE a hypothesis

• A hypothesis is a testable prediction of the r/s
  between 2 or more events or characteristics.
• Essentially and educated guess.
• Formulated prior to actually conducting the
  research study.

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Steps in Psychological research

• Step 3 Design the method

• Determine how the hypothesis is best tested.
• Decide which method to use, which participants
  will be studied, how many, how will they be
  selected allocated, etc.
• Also decide how to collect data.

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Steps in psychological research

• Step Four Collect the data

• A variety of data collection techniques used such
  as observation, questionnaires, interviews etc.
• Technique used depends on research question.
• At this stage, it is referred to as raw data.

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Steps in psychological research

• Step 5 ANALYSING the data

• Must objectively summarise, organise represent
  the data in a meaningful way.

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Steps in psychological research

• Step Six INTERPRETING the data

• Data needs to be interpreted explained.
• Draw conclusions (judgements about what the data
  means) from the results obtained.
• Conclusions relate directly to hypothesis.

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Steps In psychological research

• Step Seven REPORTING the research findings

• Objectively reporting the research findings.
• Prepare a report to be presented to other
  psychologists or publish in a journal.
• Reporting research allows in to be replicated.

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Remember!

• I - IDENTIFY
• F - FORMULATE
• D DESIGN
• C - COLLECT
• A - ANALYSE
• I - INERPRET
• R - REPORT

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Participant selection

• Known as sampling.
• Selected participants are known as sample.
• A sample is a group that is a subset or portion
  of a larger group chosen to be studied for
  research purposes.

• The term population is used to describe the
  larger group from which a sample is drawn.

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Random sampling

• A sampling procedure that ensures every member of
  the population of research interest has an equal
  chance of being selected as a participant for a
  study.

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Stratified sampling

• Involves dividing the population to be sampled
  into distinct subgroups, or strata, then
  selecting a separate sample from each stratum, in
  the same proportions as the occur in target
  populations.

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Participant Allocation

• EXPERIMENTAL GROUP
• Exposed to the experimental condition in which
  the IV is present.

• CONTROL GROUP
• Exposed to the control condition in which is IV
  is absent.

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Placebo effect

• Refers to an improvement in health or wellbeing
  due to an individuals belief that the treatment
  given to them will be effective.

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Single-blind procedure

• Participants are not aware of the condition of
  the experiment to which they have been allocated.

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Experimenter effect

• Occurs when there is a change in a participants
  response due to the experimenters actions rather
  than to the effect of the IV.

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Double blind procedure

• Participants and experimenter are unaware of the
  conditions to which the participants have been
  allocated.

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variables

• IV The variable that is systematically
  manipulated, changed or varied in some way by the
  experimenter in order to assess its effect on the
  participants reposnses.

• DV shows any effects of the IV.
• It is the aspect of a participants behaviour or
  experience that is observed or measured and is
  expected to change as a result of the
  manipulation of the IV.

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Extraneous variable

• Any other variable other than the IV that can
  cause a change in the DV and therefore effect the
  results of the experiment in an unwanted way.

• The experimenter must endeavour to minimise or
  eliminate all extraneous variables, as they can
  change the results in an unwanted way,

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Minimising effects of extraneous variables

• Repeated Measures Design
• One-group of participants undertakes both
  experimental conditions (i.e. the experimental
  and the control condition)
• Counterbalancing is done to overcome the effects
  of repetition.
• Half the participants in the experimental
  condition first, and the other half in the
  control condition first.

• Advantages
• Subject variables are highly controlled between
  conditions.
• Fewer participants needed more economical.
• Disadvantages
• Repetition effects can occur.
• Participants may be bored/fatigued when repeating
  the 2nd task.
• Practice effort could make the research invalid.

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Minimising effects of extraneous variables

• Matched-participants design
• Involves placing equivalent pairs of participants
  into each group.
• Participants in each condition are paired
  according to any important variables which, if
  not controlled, may have a confounding effect on
  their performance in the research.
• E.g. intelligence, experience, age, sex etc.

• Matched-pairs design eliminates order effects and
  demand characteristics as participants only
  participate in one experimental condition.
• Disadvantage cannot always perfectly match
  participants in every respect.

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Minimising effects of extraneous variables

• Independent-groups design
• Each participant is randomly allocated to one of
  two entirely separate groups.
• It also eliminates order effects and demand
  characteristics as the participants only
  participate in one experimental condition, but
  subject variables could still occur despite
  random assignment.

• This design is therefore the least effective
  method of research design in minimising the
  effects of extraneous variables and is only used
  when it is impossible to use the matched
  participants design.

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Operational Hypotheses

• An operational hypothesis expresses the
  experimental/research hypothesis in terms of how
  the researcher will determine the presence and
  levels of the variables under investigation.
• How the experimenter is going to put their
  hypothesis into operation.

• Statement describes how variables will be
  observed, manipulated and measured by the
  experimenter along with details of the population
  sampled.