types of studies Flashcards
the goals of psychology
describe
predict
explain
naturalistic observation
shows the strengths and weaknesses pretty quickly and reliably
naturalistic observation strengths and limitations
strengths:
- allows for description
- an important start
- external validity (not necessarily what happened in the world but in the lab)
limitations:
- not for prediction for explanation
- can be problems or interpretation and subject to biases
- need to obtain reliability
- A possibility for the child to get passed down aggressive tendencies
- in this observation it is said that calling a friend “bitch” may be seen as aggression but most of the time this is not the case
case studies
Are not true science. Can be good at research levels but it takes a lot of work into them to
make it actually be like science.
case studies example and limitations
◦little Hans fears his father because he used to play “horses” with his dad and see his dad as
looking like a horse. This causes him to be afraid of horses. He generally liked it when his
dad left so he could try to seduce his father.
‣ Strengths
* Can be good for very rare phenomena
* Raise awareness
‣ Limitations
* Not generalizable
* Biased by therapist/reporter
◦Often whoever’s writing the case study whether a reporter or therapist they can
have a bias or a issue no one is aware of that can skew the studies. This can
especially be the case if they have something against the person being studied,
have a mental issue, or anything that may be going on.
* Not scientific
* Harm reputation of psychology
surveys example -> strengths and limitations
◦Strengths
‣ Allows for quick collection of data
‣ Can get information that is not otherwise available
◦Limitations
‣ Biased reporting
* Reporting because you want a specific result, or because you want something to
come out of it. sometimes even because you don’t know what to put
‣ Can not make explanatory conclusions
‣ Sampling problems
‣ Attitudes do not often predict behavior
experiments example ->
‣ Study where there is a desk in the middle and two wings that are exactly the same. The
nurses even work on each side. He was able to systematically change one variable at a
time.
* Learned that a lot of lights may effect their vision because it is still developing.
Another factor is the baby got oxygen when they were born, it can effect their
vision.
* He initiated altering a light to use over the iso mobile to initiate the thought of the
difference between it being day and night.
◦With all of these things many babies were able to go home earlier than typically
in normal circumstances. They sometimes grew faster, slept better, and were
ready to go home quicker.
* The only thing varying between the two sides may be the lighting.
strengths of the experiment
‣ Only way to make explanatory/casual statements
‣ Internal validity
‣ Control
* The independent variable was the setting
◦Random assignment of IV
◦Control over all variables
limitations of experiments
‣ Difficult for developmental psychologist because of ethics and reality
‣ Many factors need to be controlled
‣ May be limited in terms of external validity and generalizability
* Outside the study: does the same thing happen in other settings? IE: other labs,
everyday settings
* Inside the study: internal validity Was the research done right?
example of a correlational study
‣ Ice cream sales versus murder rates in New York
* Ice cream sales increase in the summer because it is hot. Murder rates increase
because since it’s hot more people are out moving and around so it is more likely
for people to get into fights/arguments and ending in murder.
strengths of correlational studies
‣ Allows for prediction
‣ Allows for ethical developmental research
‣ Can examine multiple variables at one time
limitations of correlational studies
‣ Correlation does not imply causation!
◦High correlation that statistically people with higher depression rates are likely
to misuse alcohol
◦Parents that are neglecting are more likely to be watching violent things on tv
or to be ok with the children watching it because that is all they can do and
they are not monitored in what they are watching or doing. (This early exposure
to violence on TV predicts aggression in adulthood)
* Directionality problem
* Third variable problem
‣ Garbage in, garbage out
‣ Often misused and misunderstood
strengths and limitations of a cross-sectional study
‣ Strengths
* Allows for comparison of groups (ages)
* Relatively easy to conduct
‣ Limitations
* Cannot make statements about change
* Cannot examine cohort effects
longitudinal studies strengths and weaknesses
‣ Strengths
* A true developmental approach
* Can talk about change within individuals and groups
‣ Limitations
* Expensive
* Time Consuming
* Participant attrition
* Can not examine cohort effects
sequential studies strengths and limitations
‣ Strengths
* Examines change within individuals over time
* Can compare individuals of different ages at the same time
* Can examine cohort effects
‣ Limitations
* Expensive and time consuming
* Might have testing effects
