Documents 03-18 220604.docx

RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY 1. THE SURVEY METHOD A Survey is a data collection tool that is used by psychologists to gather informatio n about the subject through questionnaires and modeled or random interviews. For example, a survey or a modeled questionnaire can be distributed among college stu dents to find out how many pupil are interested in co-curricular activities. 2. CASE-STUDY A Case-Study is an in-depth analysis of the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, experiences, behaviors, or problems of a single individual. In case-study, techniques such as pers onal interviews, direct observation, psychometric tests, and archival records are used to gather information. For example, A researcher could conduct a study to investig a t e t h e memory processes of an individual with an exceptional ability to remember things. 3. EXPERIMENTATION The most powerful scientific method is Experimentation. An experiment is an investi gation in which a hypothesis is scientifically tested. In an experiment, an independe nt variable (the cause) is manipulated and the dependent variable (the effect) is m easured;any extraneous variables are controlled. a. LABORATORY EXPERIMENT This type of experiment is conducted in a well-controlled environment (not necessar ily a laboratory), where accurate measurements are possible. The researcher decides where the experiment will take place, at what time, with which participants, in w hat circumstances and using a standardized procedure. Participants are randomly all ocated to each independent variable group. b. FIELD EXPERIMENT Field experiments are done in the everyday (i.e. real life) environment of the partic ip-ants. The experimenter still manipulates the independent variable, but in a real-lif e setting (so cannot really control extraneous variables). c. NATURAL EXPERIMENT Natural experiments are conducted in the everyday (i.e. real life) environment of th e participants, but here the experimenter has no control over the IV as it occurs n aturally in real life. 4. CORRELATION METHOD This psychological research method determines if a relationship exist between two o r more variables, and if so, to what degree the relationship occurs. This type of re search is descriptive and quantitative in nature.

A positive correlation is a relationship between two variables in which both variable s either increase or decease at the same time. An example would be height and weigh.Taller people tend to be heavier. A negative correlation is a relationship between two variables in which an increase in one variable is associated with a decrease in the other. An example would be h eight above sea level and temperature. As you climb the mountain (increase in hei ght) it gets colder (decrease in temperature). A zero correlation exists when there is no relationship between two variables. For example, their is no relationship between the amount of tea drunk and level of int elligence. CORRELATION COEFFICIENT These relations can be expressed numerically and graphically through statistics. Its v alue ranges from (-1 to +1). This is called Correlation Coefficient and it is denoted by ‘r’. 5. OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH The term Observational Research is used to refer to several different types of nonexperimental studies in which behavior is systematically observed and recorded. The data that are collected in observational research studies are often qualitative in nat ure but they may also be quantitative or both (mixed-methods). There are several different types of observational research designs that will be described below. a. NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION Naturalistic observation is an observational method that involves observing people’s behavior in the environment in which it typically occurs. Thus naturalistic observatio n is a type of field research. Researchers who engage in naturalistic observation us ually do their thing in an unobstrusive manner. Researchers may utilize a number o f different techniques to collect data from naturalistic observation. Like, taking note s for future, recording when and how many times certain behaviors occurred, and audio or videotaping can also be considered where necessary. b. CONTROLLED OBSERVATION Here the investigator makes careful observations of one or more specific behaviors in a particular setting that is more structured and systematic. The researcher may observe people in the laboratory environment. In controlled observation, the researc her only focuses on very specific behaviors of interest. Alternatively, the researcher may observe people in a natural setting (like a classroom setting) that they have st ructured some way, for instance by introducing some specific task participants are t o engage in or by introducing a specific social situation or manipulation. c. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION Another approach to data collection in observational research is participant observat ion. In participant observation, researchers become active participants in the group or situation they are studying. The basic rationale for participant observation is that there may be important information that is only accessible to, or can be interpret

ed only by, someone who is an active participant in the group or situation. Like n aturalistic observation, participant observation can be either disguised or undisguised . 6. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING Researchers use Psychological Tests to collect information about personality traits, e motional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities, values, or behaviors. Researchers usuall y Standardize these tests, which means they create uniform procedures for giving a nd scoring them. When scoring a test, researchers often compare subjects’ scores t o Norms, which are established standards of performance on a test. A well-constru cted standardized test can evaluate subjects better than self-report data. RELIABILITY A test has good Reliability if it produces the same result when researchers administ er it to the same group of people at different times. Researchers determine a test’ s Test-Retest Reliability by giving the test to a group of people and then giving the test again to the same group of people at a later time. A reliable test will produ ce approximately the same results on both occasions. 7. ARCHIVAL RESEARCH OR LITERATURE REVIEWS Literature reviews are also a part of research methodology in psychological research . A literature review is a synopsis of previously conducted studies. A literature revie w may provide an appealing clue which can help in furthur investigation of an avai lable psychological evidence. This is called narrative review. Statistical techniques can also be applied to combine and draw conclusions about multiple researches in an effort to increase power over individual case-studies, impr oves estimation to resolve problems like uncertainty when reports show unclear res ults. This is called meta-analysis. 8. PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES Researchers also use brain-imaging tools such as MRI scans, abbreviation for Magne tic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomography and Electroencephalography are used to study brain anatomy and its involvement in cognitive and behavioral functions. 9. QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS Qualitative research is a scientific method to gather numerical free data such as fa cts and features, characteristics, concepts, and description of things. This research a nswers how and when a certain phenomenon occurs. In qualitative research, the as sumptions that are made are dynamic in nature. A good example of a qualitative r esearch method would be unstructured interviews which generate qualitative data t hrough the use of open questions. Qualitative research is endlessly creative and int erpretive. The researcher does not just leave the field with mountains of empirical data and then easily write up his or her findings. Qualitative interpretations are co nstructed, and various techniques can be used to make sense of the data. Notice t hat qualitative data could be much more than just words or text. Photographs, vid eos, sound recordings and so on, can be considered qualitative data.

10. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS Quantitative research gathers data in a numerical form which can be put into categ ories, or in rank order, or measured in units of measurement. This type of data ca n be used to construct graphs and tables of raw data.