Research Methods in Psychology

1. Research Methods in Psychology

2. Used to observe and describe behavior • Help to answer questions such when do certain behaviors occur • How often does the behavior occur • Is the behavior related to other factors such as age, ethnic group or educational level Descriptive Research Methods

3. The systematic observation and recording of behaviors as they occur in their natural setting • Non-intrusive • Realistic settings Naturalistic Observation

4. Advantages: • Study behaviors that can not be ethically manipulated • Ex: School children being bullied on the playground Naturalistic Observation

5. Disadvantages: • Can not control variables • Data collection may be inefficient • Investigator bias may exist • Does not show cause and effect • Sigmund Freud Naturalistic Observation

6. An intensive study of a single individual or small group of similar individuals resulting in a detailed picture of the individual Case Studies

7. Advantages: • Complex behavior can be intensively studied and used to provide insights into the psyche of the individual/group or used to improve treatment strategies Case Studies

8. Disadvantages: • Data collected may be based on false memories • Does not show cause and effect • Individual may be lying Case Studies

9. A questionnaire or interview designed to investigate the opinions, behaviors, or characteristics or a particular group. Surveys

10. Advantages: • Efficient collection of data from a large group • Can be used to measure attitudes or opinions Surveys

11. Disadvantages: • Subjects may lie or be dishonest • Does not show cause and effect • Responses may be altered by collection method • Ex: Motivated subjects may be more likely to submit Surveys

12. A research strategy that allows the precise calculation of how strongly related, or associated, two factors are to each other Correlation coefficient: A numerical indication of the magnitude and directions of the relationship between two variables Correlation Studies

13. Correlation Coefficient: • The closer a correlation coefficient is to 1.00, whether it is positive or negative, the stronger the correlation between the two factors • Positive correlation: When the two factors vary in the same direction., i.e. the factors both increase or decrease • Negative correlation: When the two factors vary in opposite directions., i.e. one factor increase and the other decreases Correlation Studies

14. Advantages: • Relationships between two un-like/dis-similar variables can be established: • The strength of the relationship between the two variables can be tested and evaluated, thus weak relationships can be ruled out for further study • Strong relationships can be used to make meaningful predications Correlation Studies

15. Disadvantages: • Can not control the variables • Does not show cause and effect Correlation Studies

16. Is a research method used in Psychology to demonstrate a cause and effect relationship between changes in one variable and the effect that is produced on another variable. • Conducting an experiment involves deliberately varying one factor and observing the effect on the subject Experimental Method

17. Advantages: • Produces empirical evidence that does show cause and effect Experimental Method

18. Disadvantages: Philip Zimbardo • Results may be misinterpreted • Results may be tainted if the experiment is not set up correctly or the researchers have bias • If experiments are conducted in the laboratory the behavior may have little to do with actual behavior • Some research may not be able to reflect actual behavior, ex. How living together before marriage effects divorce rates later in life Experimental Method

19. Independent Variable: • The purposely manipulated factor thought to produce change in an experiment: • The factor or variable that is manipulated by the scientist in order to change the behavior of the subject Experimental Method

20. Dependent Variable: • The factor that is observed and measured fro change in an experiment • Is always the subject behavior • Is “dependent” on the changes in the independent variable or what the scientist has manipulated Experimental Method

21. Experimental Group: • The group of subjects who are exposed to all conditions of the experiment, including the independent variables Experimental Method

22. Control Group (Placebo Control Group): • The group of subjects who are exposed to all conditions of the experiment, EXCEPT the independent variables Experimental Method

23. Random Assignment: the process of assigning participants to either the experiment group or the control group so that all have an equal chance of being in either grouping • Helps to ensure that any potential differences among the participants are spread out evenly across all experimental conditions • Minimizes the possibility of bias by the researchers Experimental Method

24. Single-blind Study: • Type of experiment where the researchers are aware of all of the critical information, but the subjects do not know about this information. Experimental Method

25. Double-blind Study: • Neither the subjects or the researchers are aware of which group has been assigned to the experimental group or the control group • Used to guard against the possibility that the researcher inadvertently becomes a confounding part of the experiment by displaying subtle cues that may bias the results Experimental Method

26. Placebo: • A fake substance, treatment or procedure that has no known direct effect. It looks like the real independent variable, but despite its convincing appearance, it is a sham • Place Effect: any change attributed to a person's beliefs and expectations rather than an actual drug or treatment Experimental Method