Psychology Research Methods and Measurement Scales Overview

Basic research

Research done to understand how behavior works, without a direct real-world goal.

Applied research

Research that uses knowledge from basic research to solve real-life problems.

How do basic and applied research work together?

Basic research gives ideas; applied research tests them in real-world settings.

Example of basic vs. applied research

Basic: studying how rewards affect learning. Applied: using rewards to improve classroom behavior.

Why is 'Does every human have a soul?' not a good psychological question?

It can't be tested or observed scientifically.

Example of a descriptive research question

How many people believe in the existence of a soul?

Example of a causal research question

Does belief in a soul influence how people cope with grief?

Literature review

A summary of past research used to find gaps and form new hypotheses.

Directional hypothesis

Predicts the direction of a result (e.g., less sleep = worse memory).

Non-directional hypothesis

Predicts a relationship without saying the direction (e.g., sleep and memory are related).

Changes that make the Zimbardo (1974) study ethical today

1) Informed consent and right to withdraw, 2) IRB monitoring, 3) Shorter duration and debriefing.

When is deception allowed in research?

When it's necessary, causes no harm, and benefits outweigh risks.

Example of acceptable deception

Faking study purpose to test conformity.

Example of unacceptable deception

Making participants think they're in real danger.

Two rules that control deception

Warn that deception might occur and debrief afterward.

Best design to test 'Red Bull causes productivity'

Experimental design.

Variables in the Red Bull study

IV = Red Bull or placebo; DV = tasks completed (productivity).

Why use an experiment for the Red Bull study?

It's the only way to test cause and effect.

Design that studies why people quit school

Correlational or mixed-method design using surveys/interviews.

Operational definition of 'dropout'

Leaving school before earning a diploma.

Factors to study for quitting school

Income, support, grades, and mental health.

Three factors that affect validity

Confounding variables, experimenter bias, and participant bias.

How to control confounding variables

Use random assignment or matching.

How to control experimenter bias

Use double-blind procedures.

How to control participant bias

Use deception or filler tasks.

Nominal scale

Categories with no order (e.g., gender, favorite color).

Ordinal scale

Ordered categories with uneven spacing (e.g., rank satisfaction 1-5).

Interval scale

Equal spacing but no true zero (e.g., temperature in Celsius).

Ratio scale

Equal spacing and true zero (e.g., reaction time or height).