1.
Survey- obtain information by asking many
individuals to answer a fixed set of questions
2.
Case Study- an in depth analysis of the of a
single individual or group
3.
Experiment- method for identifying cause and
effect relationships by following a set of rules
and guidelines to minimize errors
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Advantages

Disadvantages
 Quick and efficient way
 How the question is
to collect information
 Compare ethnic, age,
socioeconomic groups
worded can alter the
answers.
 Who asks the question
can also change the
answer

Advantages
 Gives detailed
description of a specific
situation

Disadvantages
 May be misconstrued if
observer has
preconceived ideas
 Great potential for bias
Testimonial- an individual talks about their own
experiences

Interview- ask questions, one on one setting
about a person’s attitudes and behaviors

Questionnaire- asking subjects to read list
of written questions and check off specific
answers

A test that has been given to hundreds of
people and shown to measure emotions,
behaviors, thought patterns and personality
traits

Used to gather information from large
groups of people

Used to compare different groups of people

Used to gather information on the brain,
genes or behavior

Has lowest possibility for error or bias

Use controlled environment for careful
observation and measurement.

Placebo – intervention (pills or other
medical treatments)
 no medical effect
 university and hospital research

Placebo effect – change in the illness
attributed to the imagined treatment

Used to examine or
manipulate a
behavioral, genetic,
or physiological
factor that is similar
to a human problem
or condition.

Naturalistic

Laboratory
 Subject in their natural
 Controlled conditions
environment
 Children, animals,
social psychology
 Observing without
changing or controlling
the situation
 Humans and animals
 Real world influences
eliminated
 Artificial environment

Seven Rules

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
Ask
Identify
Choose
Assign
Manipulate
Measure
Analyze

Develop main questions about what you are
trying to figure out

Hypothesis- an educated guess about a
subject

Independent Variable - researcher controls
or manipulates (new medication for
children)

Dependent Variable - behavior of subject
use (behavior of children)

Pick subjects for the experiment

Random Selection - each subject in a
population has an equal chance of being
selected

Experimental group - the group of subjects
receiving the independent variable
 treatment

Control Group - group of subjects that does
everything the experimental group does
except does not receive the independent
variable
 no treatment

Manipulate independent variable
 Ex: administer treatment

Double Blind Procedure - neither the
subjects nor the researchers know which
group is receiving the treatment

In this step the researcher measures and
observes how the independent variable
affected the dependent variable

Compare and analyze differences in data