how psychology is studied

• A case study is a detailed investigation of a single person or group of people, usually in a social or behavioural context.
• Case studies are not generalizable to other populations, as they are based on a single case.
• Naturalistic Observation is a method of studying people unobtrusively in their natural environment.
• In psychology, valid data is data that is reliable and accurate.
• Naturalistic observation can be biased and costly
• Surveys are lists of questions that gather info from large populations
• Archival research is the process of collecting, organizing, and preserving historical documents and artifacts.
• Literature reviews summarize preexisting research on a topic and provide a foundation for further research.
• A Meta-analysis is a statistical analysis of multiple studies to test the validity of a hypothesis.
• Longitudinal research is a type of research that involves observing the same group of people over time.
• Cross-sectional studies are studies that compare the characteristics of two or more groups of people at one point in time
• Cross-sectional research is most common because it is easiest to design these experiments.
• Independent variables can be manipulated and measured
• Dependent variables measure the outcome of an experiment
• Moderating variables are variables that can affect the relationship between the independent and dependent variable.