Research Methods

RESEARCH METHODS

PSYC 204 - Week 2

CLASS OBJECTIVES

  • Understand how and why psychology uses the scientific method.

  • Define and differentiate types of research design.

WAYS OF KNOWING

  • Intuition

  • Authority

  • Logic

  • Observation

  • Science

Example Prompt

  • Reflect on: How many people did you walk past on the way to class? How well can you describe them?

CAN YOU TRUST YOUR SENSES?

Short Example

  • Instances that challenge perception like color illusions or personal emotions (e.g., "Horror Makes Me Happy").

Multiple Worlds of Knowing

  • World 1: Subjective perception.

  • World 2: Sensory experiences (Sight, Touch, Taste, Hearing, Smell).

  • World 3: The objective world as it actually is.

COGNITIVE BIAS/HEURISTICS

  • Definitions:

    • Biases: Influence perceptions and understanding unconsciously.

    • Heuristics: Rules of thumb that can lead to errors in judgment.

  • Examples: Horoscopes, confirmation bias, erroneous memory.

  • Importance of a systematic approach to research to overcome biases.

CRITICAL THINKING

  • Evaluate claims based on available evidence and logic—this requires effort.

  • Related concept: Dunning-Kruger Effect—illustrates misjudgment of knowledge.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY

  • Human interest in understanding the world prompts research.

  • Differentiate between life experience/intuition and empirical research.

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Definition

  • Scientific Method: A systematic procedure for examining the world using empirical evidence.

Steps

  1. Ask a question.

  2. Do background research.

  3. Construct a hypothesis.

  4. Test with an experiment.

  5. Analyze data and draw conclusions.

  6. Communicate results.

Empirical Evidence

  • Observations made through meticulous methods.

GOOD RESEARCH QUESTIONS

  • Aims: Collect and analyze data without personal bias or emotion.

Characteristics

  • Not Ethical/Moral: Focus on scientific inquiry, not values.

  • Falsifiable/Testable: Can be proven right or wrong (e.g., "Does Bigfoot exist?").

  • Replicable: Research should allow for replication.

HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY

Definitions

  • Hypothesis: A specific, testable prediction derived from a theory.

  • Theory Example: "TV violence causes aggression in adolescents."

  • Hypothesis Example: "The more violent TV shows a teenager watches, the more frequently they will get in trouble for fighting at school."

RESEARCH DESIGNS

  1. Naturalistic Observation: Observe natural behaviors.

  2. Correlational Study: Measure the strength and direction of relationships between variables.

  3. Experiment: Test effects of independent variable (IV) on dependent variable (DV).

  4. Quasi-Experiment: No direct manipulation of the IV.

CORRELATION

Key Points

  • Correlation does not imply causation.

  • Examples in media illustrating correlation between unrelated variables (e.g., ice cream sales and drowning rates).

EXPERIMENTS

Key Concepts

  • Independent Variable (IV): The manipulated variable.

  • Dependent Variable (DV): The measured variable that responds to manipulation.

  • Operational Definition: Clear definition of how variables will be measured.

  • Random Sampling: Ensures each member has an equal chance of selection.

  • Random Assignment: Participants equally assigned to conditions.

SAMPLING IN RESEARCH

W.E.I.R.D. Psychology

  • Focus on Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic societies.

Limitations

  • Caution against generalizing findings to non-Western cultures.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Question authority; adopt a humble approach regarding biases.

  • Seek community input to rectify biases and blind spots.

  • Aim for simplicity in explanations; Occam’s Razor promotes this philosophy.

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Definition

  • Study of the causes and consequences of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors within a social context.

Early Perspectives

  • Human behavior was seen as instinctual and largely unlearned (McDougall, 1923).

PSYCHOANALYSIS

  • Key Concepts:

    • Psychic Determinism

    • Conflict between conscious and unconscious.

    • Structure of the mind: Id, Ego, Superego.

  • Critique: Some tenets, like fixed psychic energy, aren't supported by current research.

BEHAVIORISM

Overview

  • John B. Watson's Perspective:

    • Psychology defined as the science of behavior.

    • Behavior determined by environment, disregarding internal mental states.

Assumptions

  1. Tabula Rasa: Individuals are born as blank slates.

  2. Environmental influences shape behavior.

  3. Internal processes are not necessary for understanding behavior.

  4. Focus on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain.

CULTURE AND ITS IMPACT

  • Culture shapes behavior, beliefs, and experiences.

  • Definitions:

    • Culture can be any information learned socially that affects behavior.

    • Culture as a system of beliefs, social forms, and norms.

ETHICS IN SCIENCE

Historical Examples

  • Tuskegee Syphilis Study: Lack of informed consent and unethical treatment of Black men.

  • Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram Obedience Studies: Raised ethical concerns regarding psychological experiments.

FINDING PEER-REVIEW ARTICLES

  • Tips for Access: Avoid journal paywalls; use databases and Google Scholar.

  • Reading Empirical Papers: Start with the abstract for initial understanding.

DEVELOPING A RESEARCH QUESTION

  • Begin with curiosity about a subject (e.g., health effects of dark chocolate).

  • Consider personal perspectives if no existing theories guide inquiry.

ASSSESSING RESEARCH PAPERS

  • Evaluate:

    • Operational definitions.

    • Sampling techniques (random sampling/assignment).

    • Identification of IV and DV.