research methodology

Natural Observation

Observing behavior in a natural setting

Observer Effect

changes in behavior caused by an observer

Limitation of Observation

Observer Bias

observers see what they want to see

Limitation of Observation

Independent Variable (IV)

conditions altered or varied by experimenter. Suspected causes for difference in behavior

Dependent Variable (DV)

measures results. Shows the effects that the IV have on behavior

Which group is exposed to the IV?

Experimental Group/ Treatment group

Control Group

Which group is not exposed to the IV?

Case Study

in-depth focus on a single subject

Placebo Effect

changes in behavior due to expectations

Definition: inactive substance given in place of a drug in research

What is an eclectic approach?

Using quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct research

What is qualitative research?

Quality in data (interviews, surveys)

-Thoughts, feeling and perceptions

What is quantitative research?

Asks the questions "Can you quantify it?" Emphasis is on data and manipulation

-Narrow concepts to conduct statistical analysis

What are examples of quantitative research methods?

Experiment

Lab experiment

Field Experiment

Natural Experiment or quasi experiment

What are examples of qualitative research methods?

survey, observations, case study, interviews, correlational research

What is a self report?

a way to obtain data by asking participants to give information about themselves. Could include surveys, interviews, diaries.

What is a questionnaire?

a self-report research method using written questions

What is an interview?

a self-report research method asking verbal questions, typically face-to-face

empirical evidence

theory needs to be supported by empirical evidence

definition: evidence gathered using their own senses

What is required for the scientific method?

-empirical approach

-objectivity

What is required of the researcher to maintain objectivity?

the researcher to be unbiased

What are the two questions that need to be considered to ensure reliability in research?

-Did more than one person record and interpret data and do they agree?

-If you use the method again in the same situation, do you get the same results?

What are the two types of validity?

Internal and External Validity

Internal validity

Researchers should be studying what they claim to be studying and measure what they claim to be measuring

External Validity

Researchers need to ask about how appropriate it is to apply the results to the intended population

Hawthorne Effect

when a participant tries to perform in a way that they think meets the expectations of the researcher

Demand Characteristics

participants try and guess the nature of the research

-researchers may use deception to counter act this

screw-you effect

participants act in a way to sabotage the researcher's aims

target population

-impossible to include the whole human population

* narrowed focus group

What technique is used to counter-act sampling bias?

random sampling

Which group of methods investigates a clear cause-effect relationship?

quanitative

Which group of research methods is most often used to construct a theory?

qualitative

Which group of research methods is most often used to "TEST" a theory or hypothesis?

quanitative

What are 4 criterion often used to judge quantitative research?

internal validity, external validity, reliability, objectivity

What are 4 criterion often used to judge qualitative research?

credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability

What are the 4 types of triangulation (meta-analysis)?

Researcher, Data, Theoretical, Methodological

experimenter expectations/ Experimenter effect

researcher expectations impact the interpretation of data

- fixed by double-blind experiments

participant expectations

participant expectations impact results

-fixed by single-blind and double-blind experiments

eclectic approach

when research studies that use more than one method

courtesy bias

impacts interviews, surveys and questionnaires

-individuals respond with socially acceptable answers

What type of research tends to lack ecological validity?

Lab experiments because labs are usually artifical

What causes a researcher to "see things a certain way"?

Researcher bias

What are the two types of interview/questionnaire questions?

Closed and open questions

Which method tends to lack generalization the most?

Case Study

Which research method attempts to numerical quantify a relationship between two variables?

correlational research

Which qualitative method tends to incorporate several other methods into its research?

Case study

Which method was used to study HM after he had a portion of his brain removed for medical reasons?

Case Study

What are 2 common limitations of case studies?

lacks generalization, loss of objectivity by the researcher

Which research method is limited because it has difficulty controlling extraneous variables?

observations

Cognitive Level Analysis

Psychologists explain behavior by discussing specific mental processes

Psychoanalytic Approach

Theorists focus their attention on the unconscious drives of an individual

Biological Level of analysis

Psychiatrists focus on the natural occurring body chemicals to explain behavior

Behaviorist Approach

Developmental psychologists try to influence the rewards and punishments that children are given

Sociocultural Level of Analysis

Researchers look at the development of cultural norms, stereotypes and group influences on behavior