Intro to Psych 101
Chapter 2 – Research Methods
Overview:
- The Challenge of Research Methods
- Research Goals and Research Designs
- Data: Quantitative and Qualitative
- Obtaining Scientific Evidence: Psychological and Biological
- Scientific Explanation
- The Ethics of Research
- Looking Back and Looking Ahead
The Challenge of Research Methods
- People do not always answer honestly
- The research procedure may alter people’s feelings
- People may answer differently at a different time
- Other people’s opinions may have differed
- The varied question phrasing may have affected the answers
- Some responses may be difficult to interpret
- The summary of people’s responses may be inaccurate
Research Goals and Research Designs
- Two key research designs:
o Surveys
A research design in which researchers obtain descriptive information
about a large group of people by studying a select subgroup of them
Used to collect various evidence types (Punch, 2003)
Population and Sample:
Population = the overall, large group of people of interest to a
researcher conducting a study
Sample = the select subgroup of people contacted by a researcher,
who uses info from the sample to draw conclusions about the
population as a whole
o Sampling approaches:
Random sample
A sample in which each individual’s
inclusion, or not, is determined by a chance
process
o Participants who self-select into a
study =/= random sample
Representative sample
, 9/10/18
A sample in which the qualities of the
individuals included match those of the
overall population
o Match based on typical demographic
criteria of population
Race/ethnicity, gender,
biological sex, sexual
orientation, age
Core Characteristics of Surveys
Types of Surveys:
- Cross-sectional (one single survey)
- Longitudinal/prospective (multiple surveys across time)
o Pros:
Cost and time effective
Require minimal interaction with the participants
Allows us to ask questions about a wide range of cognitions, emotions and
behaviors
o Cons
Must have a good understanding of the phenomenon you are studying
ahead of time in order to choose appropriate measures
Can’t ask follow-up questions if participant responses are confusing or
seem contradictory
Impact of social desirability
Our responses are impacted by our desire to be positively
evaluated by others
- Survey methods cannot establish causal relationships.
o Cross sectional – 1 time assessment
No true temporal ordering – all of the variables are assessed at one
timepoint
o Longitudinal – 3 or more across time
Can establish temporal ordering, Variable A at Time 1 -> Variable B at
Time 2
- What do you need to have to determine causality?
o Covariation – there must be a change in the DV as a result of a change in the IV
o Temporal precedence
The IV must proceed the observed change in the DV.
If the IV and DV occur at the same time, we cannot be sure which is the
cause and which is the effect – Correlation studies have this issue
o Rule out all plausible alternative hypothesis
Don’t use the word “cause”.
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