research methods Flashcards
Scientific method
Scientific method: a multi-step technique of gathering information and answering questions so that errors and biases are minimized
Review the literature
Formulate a hypothesis
Design the study
Collect the data
Draw conclusions
Report the findings
advantages
- specific
-precise
-reduces error
- available for critique and replication
- can be used for the 4 goals of psychology
Types of research: descriptive
1) survey
2) naturalistic observation
3) case study
types of descriptive research – survey
obtains information by asking individuals a fixed set of questions about specific subjects
ADVANTAGES
- quick and efficient way to get information from a large sample of people
DISADVANTAGES
- can have errors and be biased based on how questions are worded and who asks them
types of descriptive research – naturalistic observation
obtains information by observing behaviors in relatively normal environments without changing or controlling the situation
ADVANTAGES
- can study behavior in real life situations
- behavior is more typical
- reduces the chance participants present themselves a certain way
DISADVANTAGES
- researchers beliefs/values can bias the interpretation of observations
- time consuming
- lack of control makes it hard to assign cause
types of descriptive research– case study
in-depth analysis of thoughts, feelings, etc of a single individual
ADVANTAGES
- very detailed about that person, can better understand their life
DISADVANTAGES
- not necessarily applicable to the population
- memory errors possible
-researcher can bias the questions asked
Types of research: placebo
intervention that resembles medical therapy but has no medical effects
placebo effect: change in a patients illness that is attributed to imagined treatment and not real treatment.
Types of research: correlational
a relationship between the occurrence of 2+ events
correlation coefficient: a number that indicates the strength of a relationship between events.
- closer to -1 or 1 is a stronger relationship
ADVANTAGES
- provides clues to the actual cause of the relationship
- helps predict behavior
DISADVANTAGES
- assumption of cause and effect
Types of research: experimental
a method for identifying cause-and-effect relationships by following a set of rules and guidelines that minimize the possibility of error, bias, and chance occurrences
ADVANTAGES
- identifies cause and effect relationships
- eliminates unrelated variables as causes
DISADVANTAGES
- not usually representative of the population
- Experimenter bias
- Participant expectations
- Cannot be used to study certain questions because of ethical concerns
Experimental research rules
1) Ask
hypothesis
- an educated guess about a phenomenon in precise language to rule out confusion in its meaning
2) Identify
independent variable
-treatment/something the researcher controls
dependent variable
- the participants behavior that is used to measure the effects of the I.V.
3) Choose
population
-every person that exists in the world that matches the criteria the researchers are interested in studying
Sample
the portion of the population selected to participate in the study
Random selection
each participant in a sample population has an equal chance of being selected for the experiment
4) Assign
Experimental group
- participants who receive the treatment
Control group
- participants who undergo all the same procedures as the experimental participants but don’t receive the treatment
5) Manipulate
Double-blind procedure
neither participants nor researchers know which group is receiving which treatment
6) Measure
-measure how the independent variable (treatment) affects those behaviors selected as the dependent variables
7) Analyze
Statistical procedures
- used to determine whether differences observed in dependent variables (behaviors) are due to independent variables (treatment) or to error or chance occurrence.
ethics
Code of ethics
American Psychological Association publishes a code of ethics and conduct for psychologists to follow when doing research, counseling, teaching, and related activities
CHECK NOTES FOR dECEPTION AND DEBRIEFING, ETC
