fundamentals of scientific research

the scientific method steps

• obsevation- curiosity sparks from a real life phenomenon

• form a question- what are you curious about

• develop a hypothesis- a testible prediction based on theory

• design and conduct a study- us eexperiments, observations, or correlational methods

• analyze data- use qualitative/ quantitative methods to draw conclusions

• evaluate and share- publish, share results and assess their support or contradiction of a theory

core scientific concepts

• variables: any trait or factor that can vary

• theory: a broad explanation based on evidence; guides research

• operational definitions:clear, measuable definitions of variables (e.g speed in MPH)

descriptive research

• goal: describe behavior, not determine clause

• methods: naturalistic observation, case studies, surveys, interviews

correlation researcg

identifies relationship between variables (not causation)

• uses Pearsons r:

  • range -1.0 to +1.0

  • tells strength and direction of relationship

  • neg correlation: one increases other one decreses

  • pos correlation: both increase or decrease

experimental research

• gold standard for determining clause

• researcher manipulates the independent variable to observe its effects on the dependent variable

  requires:

• random selection of participants

• random assignment to groups

• control group vs experimental group

• controlled setting to avoid confusing variables

population

entire group of interest defined by researcher

sample

smaller group representing the population (should be random and representative)

sample size

larger samples reduce chance, increases reliability

quantative research

• uses numbers, stats, and measurable data

• involves hypothesis testing, correlations, and examples

• analyzed via descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, SD frequencies)

• inferential statistics: helps test hypothesis, define significance

qualitative research

• uses interviews, observations, open ended responces

• focuses on meaning, themes and lived experiences

• not for determining causality but great for exploration

meta analysis

combines results from multiple studies on the same topic

• analyzes pooled data for stronger, more generalizable results

modern ethical standards/ apa guidelines

• informed consent: voluntary, fully informed participation

• confidentiality: privacy of participation data

• deception and debriefing: must be justified and followed by full explanation

• oversight: institutional review boards ensure ethical compliance

laboratory

high control, less natural

naturalistic

rea;-world setting, less control

psychology relies on

scientific, empirical investigation

• understanding methodology is key to understand psychological findings