research methods

• Laboratory Experiments

  • Take place under controlled conditions.
  • Increase the level of control that a researcher can have.
  • Reduce the level of ecological validity.
• Field Experiments

  • Take place in a participants natural surroundings.
  • They increase ecological validity as there surrounding are realistic.
  • Reduce the level of control.
• True Experiments

  • Control variables under investigation.
  • Randomly allocate participants to groups.
• Quasi-Experiments

  • Lacks random allocation to groups, but is like a true experiment.
• Quasi vs. Lab

  • They are easy to mix up with lab experiments.
• Natural Experiments

  • Similar to true experiments, but situation is uncontrolled by the researcher.
• Location of Natural Experiments

  • Take place in a participants everyday surroundings.
  • Confused with field experiments.
• Observational Research

  • Conduct a clinical or case study on one individual or a few.
  • This allows the researcher to gain a deeper understanding of the particular phenomenon being studied.
• Limitations of Observational Research

  • The focus of the study are not like other people.
  • Lack of generalisability.
• Naturalistic Observation

  • Involves the researcher observing behaviour in its natural environment.
  • The researcher must be completely inconspicuous and unobtrusive.
• Animal Research

  • Researchers going into the field to observe various kinds of animals in their own environments.
• Advantage of Naturalistic Observation

  • Information collected unobtrusively in a natural setting.
  • Higher degree of ecological validity.
  • Dont need to worry about demand characteristics.
• Structured Observation

  • Observation while engaging in set, specific tasks.
• Non-Participant Observation

  • Watching interactions from a distance or on video, taking notes using an observation schedule.
• Ethics (Observations)

  • People must be told they are being observed.
• Participant Observation Examples

  • Rosenhan’s (1973) observation of a psychiatric ward.
  • Festinger’s (1956) observation of a religious cult.
• Limitations of Participant Observation

  • Researcher may not see authentic behaviour.
  • It’s unethical for researchers to assume a fake identity to observe behaviour.
• Covert Observation

  • Participants are unaware they are being observed.
  • Participants acts naturally.
  • You are not allowed to record observations using video or audio equipment without the participants consent.
• Overt Observation

  • Participants are aware they’re being observed.
  • More ethical, but leads to demand characteristics.
• Controlled Observation

  • Researcher sets up a situation and observes participants
  • It is not an experiment.
  • Ainsworth’s (1969) Strange Situation is an example.
• Self-Report Techniques

  • They involve asking questions questions via surveys or interviews, so that participants can report their own thoughts or behaviour.
• Questionnaires

  • A simple list of questions.
  • They have the befit of accessible to lots of participants and can be distributed via post or email.
• Interviews

  • A trained researcher asks participants questions face-to-face.
• Structured Interviews

  • Researcher asks a simple list of questions and notes down the responses.
• Unstructured Interviews

  • More like an everyday conversation.
  • May start with planned questions but may ask other questions spontaneously.
• Social Desirability Bias

  • A participant being interviewed may alter their repsonses to try and make themselves look good.
• Surveys

  • A list of questions for research participants to answer.
• Advantages of Surveys

  • Creates a larger sample which can reflect the actual diversity of the population.
• Disadvantages of Surveys

  • People don’t always give accurate responses.
• Advantages of Interviews

  • Tend to generate qualitative data, which is in depth and detailed.
• Disadvantages of Interviews

  • Difficult to analyse.
• Correlation

  • When two variables are correlated, it simply means 5at as one variable changes, so does the other.
• Correlation Coefficient

  • The number portion of the correlation coefficient indicate the strength of the relationship.
  • The closer the number is to one the more stronger related the variables are.
• Sign of the Correlation Coefficient

  • The sign either positive or negative indicates the direction of the relationship.
• Correlational Research

  • It allows us to discover the strength and direction of relationships that exist between two variables.
  • Correlation is limited because establishing the existence of a relationship tells us little about the cause and effect.
• Cause-and-Effect

  • People mistakenly make assumptions that correlational relationships have causation.
• Aim

  • What a study is trying to achieve.
• Hypothesis

  • A specific prediction of what the study will find.
• Experimental Vs. Alternative

  • The researchers main hypothesis is known as an experimental hypothesis, in an experiment.
  • In a non-experimental study, it is typically called an alternative hypothesis.
• Null Hypothesis

  • This is a statement of what will be found if the experiment is not supported by results.