Fundamental concepts 1

Question 1

On what focuses Basic research?

Answer 1

on describing, predicting and explaining:
the FUNDAMENTAL principles of behaviour and mental processes.

Question 2

What is Applied research about?

Answer 2

• it tries to solve REAL world problems

Question 3

Laboratory (lab) research

Answer 3

• investigates psychological questions under controlled experimental conditions

example: “virtual drawing power of crowds” (Cracco et al., 2022)
- laboratory setting; experimental variables are under full experimental control
- participants know that they are in an experiment

Question 4

Field research

Answer 4

• matches more closely the environmental conditions of our daily life

example: “the power of the crowd” (Milgram, 1969)
- participants didn’t know they participated in a research

Question 5

What is Mundane realism?

Answer 5

• how closely a study mirrors real-life experiences

Question 6

What is Experimental realism?

Answer 6

• the extent to which a study has an impact on the subjects
• how it forces them to take the matter seriously
• how it involves them in the procedures

Question 7

the empirical research cycle in psychology

Answer 7

observation - research question - empirical study - data analysis - conclusion - research literature - research question

Question 8

taxonomy in research question

Answer 8

• its hard to find a research that is easy, with a large gain of knowledge

Question 9

Why/When is additional research necessary?

Answer 9

• a phenomena has not been studied/fully understood
• to resolve contradiction in the literature
• to resolve a troubling question

Question 10

Sources to identify a research question:

Answer 10

• Informal observations
• Intrinsic interest
• Practical problem
• Previous research

Question 11

literature search

Answer 11

• in search engine or database (google scholar)

Question 12

strategies for literature search

Answer 12

• recent articles
• meta-analyses
• narrow down the topic
• distinguish between ir- and relevant

Question 13

evaluate your articles for…

Answer 13

• relation to your topic? influential? which journal? how many citations?…

Question 14

Why is it important to know the literature?

Answer 14

• to generate a research question
• to determine the relevance of a research question
• has it already been investigated?
• placing it into the existing literature
• ideas for the optimal methodology

Question 15

How is a GOOD research question defined?

Answer 15

• Focused
  (on a single problem)
• Specific
  (and not too broad)
• Complex
  (enough to be informative: not only yes/no)
• Feasible
  (to be answered in a given time frame and with the available resources)
• Researchable
• Original

Question 16

What to avoid for good research?

Answer 16

• motivation comes primarily by the method
  (I want to investigate free will with fMRI)
• Being too ambitious
  (I want to understand the neural correlates of consciousness)
• mistake a hypothesis for a research question
  (I want to investigate whether the readiness potential shows an age effect)