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Achieving Realism in Psychological Research for Generalizability

Realism in psychological research aims to study behavior in real-life settings to ensure generalizability. Avoiding demand characteristics is crucial to prevent biased results. Mundane realism reflects how experiments mirror the real world, enhancing understanding of everyday behavior. Lab studies may lack generalizability, especially when using specific samples like all American students.

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Achieving Realism in Psychological Research for Generalizability

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  1. Realism • The aim of any study is to provide information about how people behave in ‘real-life.’ • IF the set-up of the study is too artificial then the participants may not behave as they normally would (demand characteristics). • Mundane realism – how an experiment mirrors the real world. • Mundane = ordinary.

  2. Generalisability • The point of realism in psychological research is to be able to generalise the results beyond the particular unique research setting. • In particular to be able to understand behaviour in everyday life. • Lab study – difficult to generalise to real-life. • Sample – all American students – difficult to generalise findings to other cultures/ages.

  3. Demand Characteristics • An aspect of the research situation which triggers a predictable response in participants causing them to respond in a similar way. • Particular cues in an experimental situation may communicate to the participants what is expected of them and what the researcher hopes to find (may guess the aim). • The outcome is that the results are biased in favour of research hypothesis, confirming the researcher’s initial beliefs.

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