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AP PSYCH 1.2 Research Methods in Psychology

  • Research is done in many ways to solve different problems

  • All methods listed here may present correlations, but do not imply causation

    • Two things may follow the same trend, but that does not necessarily mean that one affects the other

Surveys

  • Questionnaires that gather data on what people think or have done

  • Data is raw and needs to be processed before it can become useful

  • Gathers lots of ‘surface’ data

Strengths

  • Gathers large amounts of data quickly

  • Easy and cheap

  • Data is processed easily and can be turned into information

  • Can study sensitive topics because it allows for anonymity

Weaknesses

  • Participants can lie

  • Participants can misunderstand the question or prompt

  • Wording effect: Questions can be written in a way that affects the participants perception and therefore response

  • Cannot easily ask follow-up questions

Case Study

  • The opposite of surveys

  • Gathers lots of deep data about a specific individual or group

Strengths

  • Can provide more context

  • Follows participants through time, not just a moment

  • Chronological data

Weaknesses

  • Time consuming to gather such detailed data about people’s lives

  • Hard to conduct and expensive

  • Hard to get approved

  • Privacy/ethics concerns

  • Drop outs can be catastrophic

  • Can’t assume causality

  • May not be generalizable

Naturalistic Observation

  • People who know they’re being observed may not act normally

  • Going into an environment undetected is a good way to gather veritable data

Strengths

  • Allows for authentic data

  • Participants can’t react to observer’s presence, assuming they don’t know they’re being watched

  • May allow for “real” treatment

Weaknesses

  • Privacy and ethical concerns

  • May ignore informed consent

  • Lack of “control”

  • Results can only be descriptions, not explanations or deeper insight

Cross Sectional and Longitudinal

  • These studies are not research methods but rather ways in which research can be conducted

Cross Sectional

  • Compared different groups

  • Gathers data from one point in time

  • Snapshot, doesn’t give full picture or context

Longitudinal

  • Follows one group

  • Gathers data over a long time

  • Questions about generalizability

  • Good for questions of development (Unit 6)

Q

AP PSYCH 1.2 Research Methods in Psychology

  • Research is done in many ways to solve different problems

  • All methods listed here may present correlations, but do not imply causation

    • Two things may follow the same trend, but that does not necessarily mean that one affects the other

Surveys

  • Questionnaires that gather data on what people think or have done

  • Data is raw and needs to be processed before it can become useful

  • Gathers lots of ‘surface’ data

Strengths

  • Gathers large amounts of data quickly

  • Easy and cheap

  • Data is processed easily and can be turned into information

  • Can study sensitive topics because it allows for anonymity

Weaknesses

  • Participants can lie

  • Participants can misunderstand the question or prompt

  • Wording effect: Questions can be written in a way that affects the participants perception and therefore response

  • Cannot easily ask follow-up questions

Case Study

  • The opposite of surveys

  • Gathers lots of deep data about a specific individual or group

Strengths

  • Can provide more context

  • Follows participants through time, not just a moment

  • Chronological data

Weaknesses

  • Time consuming to gather such detailed data about people’s lives

  • Hard to conduct and expensive

  • Hard to get approved

  • Privacy/ethics concerns

  • Drop outs can be catastrophic

  • Can’t assume causality

  • May not be generalizable

Naturalistic Observation

  • People who know they’re being observed may not act normally

  • Going into an environment undetected is a good way to gather veritable data

Strengths

  • Allows for authentic data

  • Participants can’t react to observer’s presence, assuming they don’t know they’re being watched

  • May allow for “real” treatment

Weaknesses

  • Privacy and ethical concerns

  • May ignore informed consent

  • Lack of “control”

  • Results can only be descriptions, not explanations or deeper insight

Cross Sectional and Longitudinal

  • These studies are not research methods but rather ways in which research can be conducted

Cross Sectional

  • Compared different groups

  • Gathers data from one point in time

  • Snapshot, doesn’t give full picture or context

Longitudinal

  • Follows one group

  • Gathers data over a long time

  • Questions about generalizability

  • Good for questions of development (Unit 6)