lecture 2: science of behaviour, health and development Flashcards
steps of scientific method
- observation/identify research question
- propose hypothesis
- choose research method/design
- collect data
- analyse data and draw conclusions
- repeat
experimental study
RCT
- examine cause and effect
- exact claims about causality
- random assignment
- high internal validity
- low external validity
- can be unethical or impossible to randomly assign
correlation/descriptive study
case studies or naturalistic observation
- examine the degree to which two or more variables are related (knowing one may allow
- can be used to pridect behaviouroutcomes
- can’t say why an association exists you to predict the value of another)
- not necessarily measures cause and effect
longitudinal study
- examine change over time
- examine associations between early experience and later development/health
- maintenance error
cross sectional study
- different ages/groups at the same time
- quick and inexpensive
- difficult to interpret correlation
- cannot detect individual changes
four key principles of Te Ara Tika
- whakapapa - relationships within the study itself, its genesis
- kaitiaki - guardians of the data, who owns that, who is responsible for its safety
- tika - validity of proposal and study
- manaakitanga - ensuring the mana of both parties are upheld, cultural and social responsibility
cartwright report
landmarck document on ethics in research and clinical practice in nz following 1966 woman’s CIS and cancer study
case studies
- appropriate for unusual cases
- difficult to generalise
- difficult to determine cause and effect
features of good research
- theoretical framework: systematic way of organising and explaining observations, as well as a hypothesis that flows from the theory or question
- a standardised procedure
- generalisability and representative
- objective measurement
internal validity
whether a study accurately measures a causal relationship
external validity
whether the findings can be applied to a broader population
correlation
when changes in one variable are accompanied by changes in another
descriptive/observational research methods
- surveys
- naturalistic observations
- laboratory observations
- case studies
- biological/neurobiological techniques like MRI
natural observation
- high external validity
- can generate new ideas
- time consuming and you may not observe what you want to
- low internal validity (can’t control confounds)
- cause and effect difficult to establish
- usually small and may not be representative
labortory/clinic observation
- better control of confounds
- specialised equipment
- not natrual
- difficult to infer cause and effect
