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Psychology: Research
We all observe interesting human behavior, and it naturally causes us to ask questions.
!
“Do our unconscious dreams tell us anything about our desires or fears?”
“Who impacts our behavior more: our parents or our friends?”
“If we make a conscious effort, is it possible for us to change our own personalities?”
Psychology: Research
How would you find out the answer to the following question?:
“Are we less willing to help someone in
need if there are more bystanders nearby to help?”
Psychology: Research
Psychologists use the steps of the scientific method to help them answer questions.
Psychology: Research
Identify a question based on behavior and
experiences that require explanation.
Formulate a hypothesis: a testable explanation for a phenomenon. A hypothesis should be written as a
statement, and is often formatted this way: “If [I do this], then [this] will
happen."
Create an operational definition of your
hypothesis: a list of specific, testable
procedures.
Select a research method
Collect the data
Analyze the data
Communicate your
findings
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Psychology: Research
Turn this question into a hypothesis: !
“Are we less willing to help someone in need if there are more bystanders nearby to help?”
Psychology: Research
How could you conduct research
to test your hypothesis?
With the person sitting next to you, come up with an idea.
Types of Research
Archival Research Naturalistic Observation
Survey Research Case Study
Correlational Research Experimental Research
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Archival Research
Using records of historical events (such as descriptions in newspaper articles) to find
evidence supporting your claim.
Are there any articles that describe a situation where bystanders either helped or chose not to
help in an emergency situation?
Naturalistic Observation
Observing naturally occurring behavior without changing or interfering in the situation.
(Preferably, without the participants knowing they are being watched).
Is it possible for us to witness a crime and observe how the bystanders behave?
Survey Research
A sample population of people is selected, and surveyed. This best represents the views of people in general when the sample includes
diverse people.
Can we send a survey to a random set of people that asks, “how likely are you to help a stranger if you see a crime being committed
against them?”
Case Study
An in-depth investigation of an individual or small group of people. We hope that findings of
case studies can be applied to other similar cases, or to people in general.
If we interview a small group of bystanders who witnessed a crime and record their feelings and experiences, can we learn about the behavior of
bystanders in general?
Correlational Research
Trying to see if there is a correlation between two variables (like study time and test scores). Compiling the results of many case studies or
surveys might show us that two things are related - or that they are not related at all.
Is there a negative correlation between a high number of bystanders and a low degree of
help provided?
Experimental ResearchInvestigating the relationship between variables by deliberately controlling an environment. In an experiment, the conditions are created and controlled by the researcher, who deliberately
makes a change in those conditions and observes the effects of that change.
Experimental Research
One group of participants is told that blueberries increase brain function.
!
A second group of participants is told that blueberries decrease brain function.
!
A third group is not given any blueberries.
Which groups are the “experimental groups?” Which group is the “control group?”
Example…
Experimental Research
Blueberries & information about blueberries = Independent variable
(The variable that is manipulated by the researcher)
Test scores = Dependent variable (The variable that is measured and expected to
change as a result of the researcher’s manipulation of the independent variable).
Experimental Research
Now that we’ve gone over research strategies, how would you conduct experimental research to test the idea that increasing the number of
bystanders in an emergency situation will lower the degree of helping behavior?
VS.
Experimental Research
What if we put participants in a room…
…and present them with an emergency situation?
How many of them will
respond to the emergency?