Chapter 6 Field Research (outside of lab)

Naturalistic observation: in natural setting

Archival research: preexisting records

Case study: single group or person

Surveys: asking direct questions

Program evaluation: conducting evaluations of

applied procedures

Field experiments: causal inferences

Low

High

const

rain

t

Field Research

Generalizability: extent to which results from a

study based on a sample apply to the population

as a whole - “real world” (External Validity)

Nonrepresentative sample: not accurately reflecting

the characteristics of the population from which

the sample was drawn

+

-

observations

Unobtrusive: no contact with subject

Participant observer: Contact with the subject

Archival data

naturalistic case study

Archival Research

- Historical accounts

- census data

- court records

- Police crime reports

- medical records

Have to have research question

Purely descriptive

Field Research: More Examples

Naturalistic observation

Theory of Evolution

Natural Selection

Archival research: preexisting records

Ex: Schizophrenia & Meds & sleep

Case study: single group or person

Freud & Anna O.

Charles Darwin

British Naturalist

1809 -1882

I have called this principle, by which

each slight variation, if useful, is preserved,

by the term Natural Selection.

—Charles Darwin from "The Origin of Species"

Hawthorne Effect (Mayo, 1927-1932: Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939) A bias in subject’s behavior – usually an improvement in performance - that results from special treatment and interest shown by the experimenter Hawthorne Electric – AT&T Measure productivity - Illumination of room - Hours worked - # of rest periods

If not unobtrusive Measurement Reactivity

Observational Research

Study the subject in their natural environment – Nonhuman

• inventory of the behaviors of a species

• behaviors thoroughly described and organized into categories

• enables animal behaviorists to accurately measure behavior

•"behavior scan" method: "scan" at regular, brief intervals

• results: frequency of behavior (graph) or time budgets

Ethogram

Other Types of Field Research Very important to Psych

Program evaluation: conducting evaluations of applied procedures

Surveys: asking direct questions

Field experiments: causal inferences

Reasons for doing Field Research – Field Experiments

• Basic vs Applied: test external validity of experiment done in lab

• to determine the effects of events in the field

• to improve GENERALIZATION across setting

participants in study to larger population

results of the study over time

setting to setting

Survey Research – in the field

Survey: one or several questions that ask people

about their attitudes, beliefs, health, work, income

life satisfaction, political views etc….any issue can

be surveyed

Mostly used in the social sciences (social psych)

….sounds easy..just whip up some questions..

Survey Research – in the field

-Identify content area

-Construct your survey instrument

-Define population

-Draw representative sample

-Administer the survey

Administration of survey

mail Interview questionnaire

In person or telly Group or single

Survey Research – in the field

2 parts to survey:

-Demographics (factual items)

-Content Questions

1. Open ended 2. Multiple choice

3. Likert scale (continuum)

Construction of questions

Likert Scale

Likert Scale for Children

Do you think time-out is a good thing?

Survey Research – in the field

Sampling procedures:

-Non probability

-probability

1. Convenience Sampling: Getting the first subjects available Ex. Exiting polls

2. Quota: Convenience sample to represents subgroups proportionate to the real population

3. Snowball: locate each subject from previous contact with previous subject

1. Simple: randomly select subjects from list of population

2. Systematic: select every nth name form the list of population

3. Stratified: randomly select from subgroup (strata), proportionate to each group’s representation in the population

Survey Research – in the field

Research Designs:

Cross-sectional design (one shot deal): compares

responses of people of different ages at one time –

survey is only administered one time to each participant

– comparisons are made across age groups to investigate

age related changes in behavior/attitudes etc.

Longitudinal design (long-term): participants are studied

over time on the same DV – follow up tests – within

subjects design - How does the subject change over time

Surveys

Status: Used to describe a current

characteristic of a population

How long will you live????

Take Life Expectancy Survey