Warm-up #4
• What could you do in
order to prove or
disprove this
statement?
–Dogs are WAY
better than cats.
RESEARCH METHODS
Intro to Research
How do psychologists ask and answer
questions?
★ Differentiate types of research with regard to
purpose, strengths, & weaknesses
■ Why use each of the research methods?
★ Describe how research design drives the
reasonable conclusions that can be drawn
■ How can each research method best
drive the conclusions based on their
results?
Scientific Method
1. Observe some aspect of the universe. Formulate a question.
2. Invent a theory (hypothesis) that is consistent with what you have
observed.
3. Use the theory to make predictions.
4. Test those predictions by experiments or further observations.
5. Modify the theory in the light of your results.
6. Go to step 3, if necessary.
7. Draw conclusions.
8. Report your results.
Pre-Research
• Psychologists must:
– Come up with a hypothesis and
asking a specific question
– Look for evidence and data
– Select a sample: small group
out of total population
• Representative of population
• Random
• Stratified
Sampling
• Identify the population you want to
study
• The sample must be representative
of the population you want to study
• RANDOM SAMPLE
• Every 20 names on a list
• Stratified Sampling
• Strategically choosing people to make
sure it is representative
Types of Descriptive
Research
1. The Case Study
2. The Survey
3. Naturalistic
Observation
Descriptive Research:
1. The Case Study
1 person, group (or situation) is
observed in depth.
A case study is an intensive analysis or
research of an individual unit (e.g., a
person, group, or event) stressing
developmental factors in relation to
context. Ex. Phinaes Gage
In a case study, nearly every aspect of the
subject's life and history is analyzed to
seek patterns and causes for behavior.
The hope is that learning gained from
studying one case can be generalized to
many others. Unfortunately, case studies tend
to be highly subjective and it is difficult to
generalize results to a larger population.
Descriptive Research:
2. The Survey Method
A technique for ascertaining the self-reported attitudes,
opinions or behaviors of people usually by questioning a
representative, random sample of people. You give a survey
when you want to know how people “feel.”
Use Interview, mail, phone, Internet etc…
Cheap, anonymous, diverse population, & easy to get random sampling (a
sampling that represents your population you want to study).
Descriptive Research:
3. Naturalistic Observation
Observing and
recording behavior in
natural environment.
No control or
interaction - just
observation.
Students often confuse
naturalistic observation with
field experiments. Both
involve doing research out in
the world. However, N.O.
does not impact the behavior
of the participants.
What are the benefits and
detriments of
Naturalistic Observation?
Examples of Naturalistic Observation
The goal: get a realistic & rich picture of the participants’
behavior. To that end, control is sacrificed.
Jane Goodall’s work at Gombe Stream
National Park in Tanzania for 40 years is
an example of N.O.
By observing chimpanzee behavior
she was able to attain a deeper
understanding than any human had
previously.
However, some of very strict scientific
protocol were not always used. Goodall
was not a natural scientist. Her insights
though did lead to an understanding that
chimps have personalities, use tools, are
not vegetarians, and can behave in a
VERY aggressive manner.
Pictured to the right: (Top) Jane
Goodall at the Houston Zoo in 2012.
Longitudinal Study
• Study groups of people over long
periods of time for changes in
behaviors
(over months, years, decades)
– Ex. Development of a
child…”Genie” or effects on
the brain/body in
determining how old a
person should be legally able
to consume alcohol.
Cross-Sectional
Study
• How different age groups view same
behavior
– Study is conducted simultaneously
• What does simultaneously mean?
Ex. Music preferences
• You guys vs. adults
Correlational Research
★ The measure of the relationship between two items or
variables.
★ Does NOT say that one variable causes another.
POSITIVE CORRELATION
- 2 variables that increase together
or decrease together.
Example:
The number of gallons of gas
pumped is positively correlated to
the amount spent on gas.
GALLONS OF GAS
GAS
NEGATIVE CORRELATION
- Variables move in opposite
directions
Example:
Miles traveled is negatively correlated
to the amount of gas left in your
tank.
$ ON
MILES TRAVELED
TANK
GAS IN
Measured using a correlation coefficient.
A statistical measure of the extent
to which two factors relate to one
another.
Positive orNegative?
Negative!
Correlation Coefficient
+ or - ?
Positive or Negative?
Positive!
Correlational Research
There is a positive correlation
between ice cream and murder rates.
Does that mean that ice cream causes
murder?
What might account
for this correlation?
Experimental Research
Explores cause & effect
relationships.
Like other sciences, experimentation
forms the backbone of research in
psychology.
Famous experiments in Psych:
★ Pavlov’s salivating dogs
★ Milgram’s obedience study
Experiments are the only research
method that isolates cause and effect!
Experimental Terminology
Independent Variable - IV: factor that is manipulated
Dependent Variable - DV: factor that is measured
Experimental Group: Group exposed to IV
Control Group: Group not exposed to IV
So What Now?
• So I perform a study and what I find is concrete
and final?
• Psychologists do not fully accept results of
research until the research has been
duplicated by someone else.
• But Why?
• Studies can have hidden flaws
Other Things to Remember...
• ETHICS!
– The American
Association of
Psychology published a
set of ethics regarding
the collection, storage,
and use of psychological
data
• Both for humans and
animals.