PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Page 1

  • Psychological research

Page 2

  • Overview

    • Steps when conducting research in psychology

    • Different methods of research used in psychology

    • Characteristics of well-designed research

    • Ethical issues in research

Page 3

  • Steps in Research

    • Identify topic of interest (e.g., bullying and self-esteem in adolescents)

    • Review existing knowledge

    • Formulate a hypothesis

      • Example: Bullying affects performance, self-esteem, future relationships

      • Male vs female effects of bullying on self-esteem

    • Test the hypothesis by conducting studies in schools

    • Analyze data

    • Share results with the scientific community

      • Findings: Different impacts on self-esteem for genders

    • Publish findings and contribute to literature

    • Develop future theories based on results

Page 4

  • Studying Variables

    • Focus on variables and relationships rather than concrete things

    • Importance of operational definitions for variables

Page 5

  • Methods of Research

    • Descriptive research: Facts without cause-effect relationships

    • Correlational research: Examining relationships without cause-effect

    • Experiments: Investigating cause-effect relationships by manipulating variables

Page 6

  • Descriptive Research Methods

    • Case study: In-depth analysis of an individual/group (e.g., Phineas Gage)

    • Naturalistic observation: Observing subjects in their natural environment

    • Surveys: Gathering data from large populations via questionnaires/interviews

      • Distinction between population vs sample and the need for representative samples

Page 9

  • Case Study: 1936 Literary Digest Poll

    • Prediction of election outcomes but wrong due to sample bias

    • Sampling method flaws overshadowed large sample size

    • Lesson: Sample size does not compensate for methodological issues

Page 10

  • Correlational Research

    • Understanding correlation vs causation

    • Correlation types: positive, negative, and zero correlation

Page 12

  • Actual Experiments

    • Types of variables:

      • Independent (manipulated) vs Dependent (measured)

      • Importance of controlling confounding variables (internal validity)

Page 13

  • Factors Affecting Experiments

    • Internal issues: confounding variables, placebo effects, researcher bias

    • External issues: generalizability, replicability of findings

Page 14

  • Summary of Research Methods

    • Descriptive: Case studies, observations, surveys

    • Correlational: No cause-effect relationship

    • Experiments: Manipulating and controlling variables, considering validity factors

Page 15

  • Ethics in Research

    • Notable studies: Watson's Little Albert, Milgram’s obedience, Zimbardo’s prison experiment

Page 16

  • Human Research Ethics

    • Require ethics approval and emphasize participant well-being

    • Importance of informed consent and minimizing risk

    • Necessity for debriefing and confidentiality

Page 17

  • Animal Research Ethics

    • Ensure health and minimize pain for animal subjects

    • Ethical considerations regarding the number of animals involved

Page 19

  • Becoming a Researcher: Critical Thinking Steps

    • Choose a psychology topic

    • Formulate hypothesis

    • Define variables and their operational definitions

    • Decide on measurement techniques

    • Determine population of interest

    • Choose research method (descriptive, correlational, experiment)

    • Address ethical concerns and how to resolve them