Research Methods in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Video notes)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, terms, and methods from the lecture notes on Research Methods in Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Research problem / research question in I-O psychology

A clear problem or question that guides research; in I-O psychology it can come from workplace changes or practical issues.

Independent variable

A variable the researcher actively manipulates to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

Dependent variable

The outcome variable measured to see the effect of changes in the independent variable.

Control variable

Variables kept constant or accounted for so they do not confound the results; included because they might influence the dependent variable.

Hypothesis

A testable prediction about the relationship between variables, grounded in theory and past research.

Literature review

Survey of existing research used to inform hypotheses and research design.

Laboratory experiment

Experiment conducted in a controlled setting where the researcher controls independent variables to isolate effects; high control but may lack real-world realism.

Field experiment

Experiment conducted in a real-world setting with an experimental and a control group, aiming to test causal effects in natural conditions.

Hawthorne studies

Early field experiments showing that observation and contextual factors can affect behavior; illustrate complexities of real-world research.

Field study

Research conducted in a real workplace setting using multiple methods (surveys, interviews, observations) to describe or explain phenomena.

Questionnaire

A set of pre-planned questions distributed to many respondents, often online; aims for quick, scalable data collection but may have low response rates.

Interview

Data collection method with varying structure: structured, semi-structured, or unstructured; yields qualitative insights.

Observation

Systematic study of behavior in natural settings; can be overt or covert; used to corroborate self-reports.

Analyzing documents

Using documents such as meeting minutes, reports, and charts as data; requires careful interpretation and triangulation.

Case study

In-depth examination of individuals or groups within an organization to understand actions or outcomes.

Action research

Collaborative, participatory research approach to solve real-world problems; Lewin introduced; flexible and iterative.

Kurt Lewin

Founder of action research; advocated participatory problem-solving and applying scientific methods to practice.

Descriptive field study

Describes general characteristics of a setting or population without focusing on causal relationships.

Explanatory field study

Explores cause-and-effect relationships in real-world settings.

Ethics in research

Moral principles guiding research; includes privacy, consent, and handling covert observation.

The scientific method

Systematic process used to gather information, define variables, test hypotheses, and verify results.

Co-researchers (in action research)

Employees participate as collaborators in the research process to jointly develop solutions.