Research methods in psychology

1. Research methods in psychology Simple revision points

2. What two approaches are there to research? • Quantitative research is concerned with the collection of numerical data. • Qualitative data is concerned with the collection of data concerned with behaviours, and is descriptive, often of emotions and feelings

3. What methods are available? • Experiments – variable controlled • Correlation research – patterns sought • Observational research – people watched • Surveys – questions asked • Case Studies – individuals studied

4. What experimental methods are used? • Laboratory experiments where variables are controlled • Field experiments are in a natural environment but variables are controlled • Natural experiments are in a natural environment and there is little control over variables

5. What three experimental designs are there? • Repeated measures – same participants measured in all values • Independent groups – different participants in the groups • Matched participants – similar key characteristics are sought in groups

6. List strengths to laboratory experiments • Scientific in intent. • Cause and effect can be established • Control over variables is established • Experiments are repeatable and therefore reliable

7. List weaknesses to laboratory experiments • Total control is impossible • Artificial environments produce artificial results • Participants may guess purpose of study and this influences behaviour • There may be ethical problems of deception

8. What types of question can be asked? • Closed questions are where participants choose an appropriate response from a number on offer. • Open questions are where participants can respond in a way that allows them to expand on their answers

9. What should a good questionnaire look like? • Well laid out. • Easy to read • Easy to respond to • Understandable so the participants know what is required

10. What are the advantages of a questionnaire? • Creates a lot of data • Easy to collate • Easy to repeat and therefore reliable • Convenient and relatively cheap to produce

11. What are the disadvantages of a questionnaire? • May not gather enough detail • Cannot return to participants to get them to explain responses • Sometimes a low response rate • Quality of responses depends on quality of the design

12. What three types of interview are there? • Fully structured – similar to a questionnaire with closed questions • Semi-structured – more relaxed and more open questions • Unstructured – resembles a conversation and researcher responds to participant

13. What advantages are there to interviews? • Data is rich in detail • Interviewee can clarify responses • Offers qualitative data

14. What disadvantages are there to interviews? • Time consuming • Requires skilled interviewers • Difficult to analyse • Expensive to run • Small samples

15. What advantages are there to observation? • Naturalistic in approach • Has high ecological validity • Ethical – if overt and participants know they are watched • Useful if people do not want to cooperate, or cannot be questioned e.g studies of children

16. What disadvantages are there to observations? • Ethical issues if covert and participants do not know they are watched • Unreliable as cannot be replicated • Observer bias is possible • Variables are difficult to control • Observers may not be consistent in classifying observations