Research Design Approaches

1. Importance

• Various approaches are essential in acquiring knowledge.

2. Types of Research Design

• Correlation: Examines the relationship between two variables.

• Observation: Involves observing subjects in their natural environment.

• Case Studies: In-depth study of an individual, group, or event.

• Surveys: Collects data via questionnaires or interviews.

• Strengths and weaknesses exist for each type.

3. Statistical Analysis in Psychology

• Descriptive Statistics: Summarizes information about a sample.

  • Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, median, mode.

  • Measures of Variability: Range, variance, standard deviation.

• Inferential Statistics: Draws conclusions about a population based on a sample.

  • Example: t-test for comparing means.

4. Experimental Variables

• Independent Variable (IV): Factor manipulated by the experimenter.

• Dependent Variable (DV): Measured factor possibly changing in response to the IV.

5. Experimental Ethics

• Importance of Ethics in Experiments:

  • Informed Consent: Participants are informed about the research.

  • Voluntary Participation: Participation is voluntary.

  • Confidentiality: Participants' information is kept confidential.

6. Context Influence on Outcomes

• Environmental context can influence experimental outcomes.

  • Example: Braking reaction time in different traffic densities.

7. Understanding Data Distribution

• Importance of Data Representation:

  • Normal distribution is symmetrical, indicating typical behavior.

  • Visual representations aid in demonstrating mean and variability.

• Key Indicators: Range and Standard Deviation signify data spread.

8. Normal and Skewed Distributions

• Normal Distribution: Balanced data distribution with a mean at the center.

• Skewed Distribution: Data with a longer tail on one side, impacting mean and median.

9. Statistical Significance in Research

• Significance level (e.g., 5% significance, p < .05): Results may be statistically significant.

• Inferential statistics form the basis for hypothesis formulation in psychological testing.

10. Conclusion on Statistical Methods

• Statistics serve as a cornerstone of scientific investigation.

• They ensure knowledge reliability and aid in hypothesis formulation for future research questions.