Ch 2 social

Basic Research

Research aimed at increasing overall understanding of human behavior, often testing specific hypotheses from theories.

3 main goals of research

• measurement and description

• understanding and prediction

• application and control

Applied Research

Research focused on making applications to the world and contributing to the solution of social problems.

Hypothesis

testable prediction about the conditions under which an event will occur

• specific and falsifiable

Operational def

States specifically how the conceptual variable will be manipulated/measured

• ex. personality

Types of research methods

1. systematic observation

2. correlational studies

3. experimental research

Systematic observation

Researchers describe and predict behavior, does NOT show causality

Case studies

detailed description of a particular indiv under study

Experimental Research

Research method that allows researchers to determine cause-and-effect relationships between independent and dependent variables.

Experiment

form of research that can demonstrate causal relationships because (1) the experimenter has control over the events that occur and (2) participants are randomly assigned

True Experiments have

• true indep variable(s)

• random assignment

Field setting

“real-world”, disadvantage = less control

Confound

A variable other than the independent variable that changes across conditions, posing a threat to internal validity and complicating cause-and-effect conclusions.

Internal Validity

The degree to which we can be confident that the effects observed in an experiment are due to the independent variable.

External Validity

How generalizable our results are

• mundane (similar to real world situations)

• experimental (compelling to participants)