PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Psychology as a Science: Research is fundamental to psychology, enabling the investigation and verification of findings.

Inductive Reasoning: This process moves from specific empirical observations to a general hypothesis or premise.
Deductive Reasoning: This process starts with a general hypothesis or premise and leads to specific empirical observations.

Scientists utilize inductive reasoning to formulate theories, which then generate hypotheses.
- Theory: A proposed explanation for observed phenomena.
- Hypothesis: A testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.
  - Often structured as an "if-then" statement.
  - Must be falsifiable, meaning it can be proven incorrect.

Focus: Concentrates on a single individual or a small group.
Application: Typically used for extreme or unique psychological circumstances.
Advantages: Provides deep insight into the specific case.
Disadvantages: Results are difficult to generalize to a larger population.
Example: The case of Genie, a child subjected to extreme isolation and abuse, provided significant insight into language development and critical periods.

Method: Involves recording behavior in its natural setting.
Assumption: Individuals are expected to feel less threatened or watched, leading to more authentic behavior.
Challenge: Observer bias – the tendency to only pay attention to behaviors that align with expectations, which can be either purposeful or accidental.
Example: Jane Goodall's extensive research on chimpanzees in their natural habitat is a classic example of this method.

Method: A list of questions delivered through various means (e.g., online, written, oral).
Advantages: Gathers a large amount of data in a short period.
Sampling: Uses a sample (a subset of individuals) from a larger population to represent the whole group.

Method: Utilizes existing past records or data sets.
Purpose: To answer various research questions, or to identify interesting patterns or relationships within historical data.