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Module 3: Research in Psychology
Learning Objectives• What is the scientific method?
• How do psychologist use theory and research to answer questions of interest?
• What research methods do psychologist use?• How do psychologist establish cause-and-
effect relationships in research studies?
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Copyright © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
The Scientific Method
The approach used by psychologists to systematically
acquire knowledge and understanding about behaviour and other phenomena of
interest
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Copyright © 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Scientific Method: Developing Explanations
ResearchBroad explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest
Theories
Broad explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest
Hypothesis
A prediction stated in a way that allows it to be tested Operationalization
The process of translating a hypothesis into specific, testable procedures that can be measured and observed
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Scientific Method
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Descriptive ResearchAn approach used to systematically investigate a person, group,
or patterns of behaviour
There are several types used in Psychological Research:
Archival researchUse of existing data in order to test a hypothesis
• Case studyAn in-depth, intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people
Descriptive Research
• Survey research
A sample of people are asked a series of questions about their behaviour, thoughts, and attitudes in order to represent a larger population
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Descriptive Research
• Naturalistic observationObservation of naturally occurring behaviour without
intervention*observer effect – the experimenter
inadvertently being seen by the observed thereby influencing their behaviour
*observer bias – tendency for an experimenter to be sensitive to supporting data
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Correlation Research
Correlational ResearchThe relationship between two sets of variables is examined to determine whether they are associated, or “correlated”
•Correlation does not mean “causation”•Ranges from +1 to -1
Correlation Research
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Experimental Research
• The relationship between two (or more) variables is investigated
by deliberately producing a change in one variable in a situation
and observing the effects of that change on other aspects of the situation
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Experimental Research
What is necessary to do Experimental Research?
• Experimental Research requires the responses of at least two groups to be compared.
• These two groups are called:– Experimental Group– Control Group
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Experimental Research
– Experimental Group:• A group participating in an experiment that
receives a treatment– Control Group
• A group participating in an experiment that receives no treatment
In some experiments there can be more than one experimental group and/or more than one control group
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Experimental Research
VariableBehaviour, event, or other characteristic that can change or vary in some way
• Independent variableThe variable that is manipulated by the experiment
• Dependent variableThe variable that is measured and is expected to change as a result of changes caused by the experimenter’s manipulation of the independent variable
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Experimental Research: Final Step
• Random assignment to conditionParticipants are assigned to different experimental groups or “conditions” on the basis of chance and chance alone
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The following slide presents the process of
Random Assignment
The research task is to create both a control group and a experiment group
which is chosen from a population of
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Original GroupMain Population Being Studied
Control Group
Experimental GroupThey will receive the treatment
Random assignment completed!
Let the experiment begin!
Experimental Research: Final Step
• ReplicationRepetition of findings using other procedures in other setting
• Significant outcomeUse of statistical procedures in order to determine whether or not differences between groups are large enough to be significant
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Experimental Research: In Action!
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Research Strategy Recap
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Recap/Evaluate/Rethink: Module 3
• 1. What research methods do psychologists use?
• 2. An explanation for a phenomenon of interest is known as a _____
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