Research Methods In Psychology.docx

RESEARCH METHODS IN PSYCHOLOGY 1. THE SURVEY METHOD A Survey is a data collection tool that is used by psychologists to gather information about the subject through questionnaires and modeled or random interviews. For example, a survey or a modeled questionnaire can be distributed among college students to find out how many pupils 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 personal interviews, direct observation, psychometric tests, and archival records are used to gather information. For example, a researcher could conduct a study to investigate the memory processes of an individual with an exceptional case. 3. EXPERIMENTATION The most powerful scientific method is Experimentation. An experiment is an investigation in which a hypothesis is scientifically tested. In an experiment, an independent variable (the cause) is manipulated and the dependent variable (the effect) is measured; any extraneous variables are controlled. a. LABORATORY EXPERIMENT This type of experiment is conducted in a well-controlled environment (not necessarily a laboratory), where accurate measurements are possible. The researcher decides where the experiment will take place, at what time, with which participants, in what circumstances and using a standardized procedure. Participants are randomly allocated to each independent variable group. b. FIELD EXPERIMENT Field experiments are done in the everyday (i.e. real life) environment of the participants. The experimenter still manipulates the independent variable, but in a real-life setting (so cannot really control extraneous variables). c. NATURAL EXPERIMENT Natural experiments are conducted in the everyday (i.e. real life) environment of the participants, but here the experimenter has no control over the IV as it occurs naturally in real life. 4. CORRELATION METHOD This psychological research method determines if a relationship exist between two or more variables, and if so, to what degree the relationship occurs. This type of research is descriptive and quantitative in nature. A positive correlation is a relationship between two variables in which both variables either increase or decrease at the same time. An example would be height and weight. 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 height above sea level and temperature. As you climb the mountain (increase in height) it gets colder (decrease in temperature).

A zero correlation exists when there is no relationship between two variables. For example, there is no relationship between the amount of tea drunk and level of intelligence. CORRELATION COEFFICIENT These relations can be expressed numerically and graphically through statistics. Its value 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 non-experimental studies in which behavior is systematically observed and recorded. The data that are collected in observational research studies are often qualitative in nature 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 observation is a type of field research. Researchers who engage in naturalistic observation usually do their thing in an unobtrusive manner. Researchers may utilize a number of different techniques to collect data from naturalistic observation. Like, taking notes 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 researcher 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 structured some way, for instance by introducing some specific task participants are to engage in or by introducing a specific social situation or manipulation. c. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION Another approach to data collection in observational research is participant observation. 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 interpreted only by, someone who is an active participant in the group or situation. Like naturalistic observation, participant observation can be either disguised or undisguised. 6. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING Researchers use Psychological Tests to collect information about personality traits, emotional states, aptitudes, interests, abilities, values, or behaviors. Researchers usually Standardize these tests, which means they create uniform procedures for giving and scoring them. When scoring a test, researchers often compare subjects’ scores to Norms, which are established standards of performance on a test. A well-constructed standardized test can evaluate subjects better than self-report data. RELIABILITY A test has good Reliability if it produces the same result when researchers administer 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 produce 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 review may provide an appealing clue which can help in further investigation of an available 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, improves estimation to resolve problems like uncertainty when reports show unclear results. This is called meta-analysis. 8. PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES Researchers also use brain-imaging tools such as MRI scans, abbreviation for Magnetic 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 facts and features, characteristics, concepts, and description of things. This research answers how and when a certain phenomenon occurs. In qualitative research, the assumptions that are made are dynamic in nature. A good example of a qualitative research method would be unstructured interviews which generate qualitative data through the use of open questions. Qualitative research is endlessly creative and interpretive. 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 constructed, and various techniques can be used to make sense of the data. Notice that qualitative data could be much more than just words or text. Photographs, videos, 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 categories, or in rank order, or measured in units of measurement. This type of data can be used to construct graphs and tables of raw data. Experiments typically yield quantitative data, as they are concerned with measuring things. However, other research methods, such as controlled observations and questionnaires can produce both quantitative information. For example, a rating scale or closed questions on a questionnaire would generate quantitative data as these produce either numerical data or data that can be put into categories (e.g., “yes,” “no” answers). Statistics help us turn quantitative data into useful information to help with decision making. We can use statistics to summarize our data, describing patterns, relationships, and connections. Statistics can be descriptive or inferential. Descriptive statistics help us to summarize our data whereas inferential statistics are used to identify statistically significant differences between groups of data (such as intervention and control groups in a randomized control study).