Research Methods – Experimental & Non-Experimental

1. Research Methods – Experimental & Non-Experimental Higher Psychology

2. What is psychology? the scientific study of thought, feeling and behavior

3. What do psychologists do? • Help people with problems • Measure and test • Teach • SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

4. Where do psychologists work? • Clinics • Schools • Colleges • Businesses • Laboratories • Government agencies

5. Schooling in Psychology

6. Some psychological research topics: • origins of stereotypes • development of language • causes of Alzheimer’s disease • accuracy of eyewitness testimony • personality & musical preference • treatment of eating disorders • causes of romantic love

7. Sampling Psychology: Examples of Psychological Research Findings: • visual perception & optical illusions • information processing & judgment • human memory • self-evaluation

10. Which center circle is larger?

11. Here are the same circles again.

15. Do you see the flashing dots? The flashing is all in your head.

16. GREEN BLUE YELLOWREDBLUE YELLOW REDBLUEGREEN RED

17. ORANGE BLUE GREENYELLOW ORANGEGREEN PURPLEGREEN BLACK YELLOW

18. The effect you experienced is the STROOP INTERFERENCE EFFECT.TO THINK ABOUT OR DISCUSS: • Some behavior is AUTOMATIC. It’s impossible NOT to read color words. • Would a person who cannot read experience the effect? • Could this test be used to measure “language fluency”?

19. A memory test: 1. Please listen carefully to the following list of words. 2. Please DO NOT write the words down. Just listen carefully.3. In a little while, I’ll ask you to remember the words.

20. Now count backwards with me slowly, by threes, from 45 to 3: 45, 42 … 3

21. Write down each word below:ghost cake blanket sweet rabbit candy2. Circle only the words you heard on the list. 3. If you VIVIDLY remember hearing a word, circle it twice.

22. Now examine the list carefully: • sour • candy • sugar • bitter • good • taste • tooth • nice • honey • soda • chocolate • heart • cake • tart • pie TO THINK ABOUT OR DISCUSS : Should this make us worry about eyewitness testimony?

23. Now we are going to do a simple activity involving letters of the alphabet. • Based on your gut feelings, quickly write down: • Your six FAVORITE letters • Your six LEAST FAVORITE letters

24. Look over each list and circle all of the letters that occur in your own first name. Count the number of circled letters in each list. Which list included more of the letters from your own first name??

25. The preference for the letters in one’s own name is the name letter effect. TO THINK ABOUT: Would people be more likely to purchase a product if the product resembled his or her name? Should the musician depicted here like M&Ms more than the average person does?

26. Psychological Science: • addresses important questions • can improve people’s lives • is a lot of fun!

27. Research Methods In Psychology Basic Concepts of Research • Basis of scientific method • Making observations in systematic way (empirical studies) • Follow strict rules of evidence • Critical thinking about evidence

28. Research Methods In Psychology Theories and Hypotheses • Theories – tentative explanations of facts and relationships in science • Hypothesis – a prediction based on a theory • Tested to confirm or refute • Can be revised or abandoned

29. Research Methods In Psychology Representativeness of Samples • Sample • Representative of larger group or population of interest • Small group of humans or animals • Unrepresentative sample – misleading or biased test of hypothesis • Replication of research removes most doubt

30. Research Methods In Psychology Research Methods • Descriptive or Qualitative studies • Simplest method of scientific inquiry • Describe behavior and mental processes • Most widely used • Survey method – ask people’s opinions • Naturalistic observation – watch, describe • Clinical method – observe in clinic setting • All have advantages and disadvantages

31. Research Methods In Psychology Research Methods • Correlational Studies • Correlational method: measure two variables for statistical relationship • Variable: anything that can be assigned a numerical value • Uses quantitative measures

32. Research Methods In Psychology Research Methods • Correlational Studies • Correlation coefficient • Measures each variable • Indicates strength ( 0 to 1) and direction (negative or positive) of relationship • Correlation does not mean causation

33. 30 29 28 27 26 25 Variable 2 24 23 22 21 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Variable 1 Fig. 2.2 Hypothetical data illustrating a correlation coefficient of +1.00

34. 30 29 28 27 26 25 Variable 2 24 23 22 21 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Variable 1 Fig. 2.3 Hypothetical data illustrating a correlation coefficient of -1.00

35. 30 29 28 27 26 25 Variable 2 24 23 22 21 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Variable 1 Fig. 2.4 Hypothetical data illustrating a correlation coefficient of zero

36. Research Methods In Psychology Formal Experiments • Tests relationship of two or more variables • Allows conclusions about cause-and-effect • Quantitative measures of behavior compared in different conditions created by researchers • Evidence supports or rejects hypothesis

37. Research Methods In Psychology Ethical Principles of Research • Ethics in research with human participants • Freedom from coercion • Informed consent • Limited deception • Adequate debriefing • Confidentiality

38. Research Methods In Psychology Ethical Principles of Research • Ethics of research with nonhuman animals • Necessity • Health • Humane treatment

39. Experiments – a recap • Key features: • High degree of researcher/experimenter control • The only method which establishes cause & effect • Can have problems with ecological validity, artificial • Provides quantitatve data

40. Quantitative versus Qualitative • Quantitative data can be ‘quantified’ and counted • Qualitative describes • Which is which of the following? • Scores in a memory task • Participants’ childhood memories of Christmas • Case study written up by therapist about a client’s repressed memories • Number of errors made in a memory task

41. Observation • Watching what is going on – easy peasy? • Monty Python ‘argument’ sketch • Different observers might disagree on criteria? • Should those being observed know (overt) or should it be done without their knowledge (covert)? • Should the researcher take part (participant) or not (non-participant)? • Can generate quantitative or qualitative data – how?

42. Surveys and Questionnaires • Easy to do? • Usually ‘highly structured’, i.e. fixed questions with limited responses • May use ‘Likert scale’ to measure attitudes • What type of data does this generate? • Can we trust the answers

43. Interviews • Related to surveys & questionnaires, but usually face to face • Can use different types of questions, from highly structured (surveys) to unstructured, participant-led (e.g. therapy sessions) • Most are semi-structured, i.e. some questions are prepared in advance, but these are flexible and can be adapted to follow areas of interest • What type of data does this generate?

44. Case Studies • These are a less common method, usually used in clinical or therapeutic situations, e.g. studying memory loss in individuals with brain injuries • Gather a wide range of information about one individual or event (e.g. 9/11) • Why would this method be used? What type of data would it generate?