Research Methods

• Labratory experiment


  -environment is artificial

  -iv: variable manipulated/changed; conditions being compared

  -should be operationalized/control variables(both)

  -dv: chosen to measure; directly affected by IV
• Participant variable (lab)


  traits and behaviors that participants bring to the study that may affect the DV (intelligence, previous experience)
• Strengths of Lab experiments?

  -high levels of control so can be tested for replicability

  -with high levels of control, researches can be more confident the IV is directly affecting the DV
• Weaknesses of Lab experiments?

  -take place in artificial setting, can lack ecological validity

  -take part in tasks that are nothing like real-life, lack mundane-realism
• Field experiments


  -take place in natural environment rather artificial labratory

  -still can manipulate IV while measuring DV to see how it effects
• Situational variables


  variables from the setting that might affect the DV (weather, time of day)
• Strengths of field experiments?

  -take place in realistic setting, have ecological validity

  -participants don't know they are taking part in a study, few/no demand characteristics so behavior is more likely to be natural and valid
• Weaknesses of field experiments?

  -situational variables can be difficult to control/know if Iv is affecting DV (uncontrolled variable causing DV to change)

  -participants don't know taking part in a study, so theres are issues with breaking ethical guidelines including informed consent and deception
• Questionnaires


  asking participants to answer a series of questions in written form
• likert scales


  statements that participants read and then state whether strongly agree, disagree
• rating scales


  questions/statements where participants give an answer in form of a number (scale 0-10)
• open-ended


  questions that allow participants to develop an answer and write in their own words
• closed


  questions where there are a set amount of answers and participants choose which answer best fits how they want to respond
• Strengths of questionnaires

  -participants may be more likely to reveal truthful answers as it does not involve talking face to face with someone

  -large sample can answer in a short time, increases representativeness and generalizability of findings
• Weaknesses of questionaries

  -may give socially desirable answers as they want to look good rather than giving truthful answers; lowers validity of findings

  -if lot of closed questions, then participants might be forced into choosing answer that does not reflect true opinion
• Interviews

  -answers are spoken, not written

  -series of questions, record interview and transcribe
• what are the 3 types of interviews?

  -structured

  -semi-structured

  -unstructured
• structured


  -set of order of questions is used and asked
• semi-structured


  -certain questions must be asked, but can be in different order/ask other questions to clarify response
• unstructured


  -interviewer has theme/topic needed to be discussed

  -initial question to begin, each with subsequent question based on response given
• Strengths of interviews

  -has a lot of open questions that real more reasons why they behave in certain way/opinion
• Weakness of interviews


  -participants less likely to give truthful answers (social desirability), do not want to be judged negatively
• Case studies

  -examines a single person or unit of people in depth

  -trauma, mental health; use questionnaires, interviews, and observations to collect data
• Strengths of case studies

  -focusing on one individual, can collect rich, in depth data that have details (more valid)

  -usually studied as part of everyday life (ecological validity)
• Weaknesses of case studies

  -focusing on one individual, may be unique; makes generalizations difficult

  -studied in depth, attachment between them/psych which could reduce the objectivity of data collection/analysis (lower validity)
• Observations

  -involves watching and observing people or animals and their behaviors

  -create behavioral checklist (ethogram non-humans) name each behavior psychologist expecting to see with picture and brief desc (looking for same behavior)

  -must be tested before main (pilot observation)
• Types of Observations

  -naturalistic

  -controlled

  -participant
• Naturalistic observation


  takes place in a person or animals natural environment
• Controlledobservation


  take place in a controlled setting (labratory room, 1-way mirror)
• Participant observation


  psych become apart of group they wish to observe; overt (know psych in group being observed) or covert (doesn't know psych in group being observed)
• Strengths of observations

  -unaware being ovserved, should behave naturally increasing ecological validity

  -behaviors counted (quantitative) process is objective and data can be analyed statistically, minimal bias
• Weaknesses of observations

  -aware being observed, not act naturally and show socially desirable behaviors; reduces validity

  -difficult to replicate a naturalistic study, variables cannot be controlled (reduces reliability)
• DO ONE MORE


  PLS PLS PLS PLS