Research in Psychology

Quantitative Methods Quantitative: experiments and studies gathering data with questionnaires and analyzing results with correlations Seek objective knowledge, gather data with numbers Have 7 qualities: intended to be narrow, objective, artificial, highly structured, do not show context of real life, reliable, and have low researcher influence

Qualitative Methods Qualitative: case studies, interviews, observations Seek meaning and context, do not quantify human characteristics 7 key qualities: (opposite of quantitative) provide a range of information, are subjective, reflect the natural environment, loosely structured, show context of real life, have low reliability, and have high researcher influence

Aim, Procedure, Findings Aim – purpose of study, what will be studied Target population – group you wish to generalize your finding to Procedure – step by step process to carry out the study, must be able to replicate Findings – how researcher interpreted the data, always open to debate (flaws, bias, other findings, application to various groups?)

Participants Participants - people who are in the study Sample – can’t study the whole target population, so a portion is selected Representative sample – a subsample that represents the target population Size matters – too small of a sample can lead to skewed results

Representative Sampling Allows the researcher to generalize the finding to a larger group Rarely used (difficult to do) Most appropriate for quantitative studies Representative sampling is the only kind that allows for the statistical generalization of study results outside the sample Two examples: Simple random sampling Stratified random sampling

Simple Random Sampling -Every member of the target population has an equal chance of being selected. -Assign everyone in the target population a #, then randomly select numbers. Obtain a representative sample Often the most desirable sampling method Easier to generalize findings to larger populations Random sample may accidentally over represent different groups

Systematic Random Sampling Researcher randomly picks the first subject from the population (must have equal chance of being first subject chosen) Then each n’th subject from the list will be selected More simple than simple random sampling Population will be evenly sampled

Stratified Random Sampling Target population is divided into subcategories that represent a proportion of the total population Draw random samples from each subpopulation within the target population (ex. IB students 5%) More accurate reflection of the actual distribution of population Very time-consuming process

Opportunity Sampling sample whoever happens to be there Easy way to get participants Often used at universities with undergraduate students Great chance for bias What type of people are they? Is there a gender imbalance? College students are not typical of the larger population, harder to generalize findings

Self-selected Sample made up of volunteers Relatively easy to obtain Most likely highly motivated Rarely reflect the more general population Not clear the results can apply to people outside the group

Snowball Sampling Participants recruit others from friends and family Used in social psychology Makes it easier to access participants Can lack participant variability Participants will share common traits that may bias the outcome of the study

Ethics Participants should be treated in an ethical manner Informed Consent is required Slight deception is allowed if it doesn’t cause stress and it’s explained at end Debrief the aims and purpose so participant doesn’t leave with stress

Ethics Right to withdraw from a study at any time All information is confidential Protection from potential physical or mental harm

Triangulation Make sure there is enough evidence to make valid claims Studying theories from more than one viewpoint Greater certainty about findings if similar findings emerge from research using other methods, samples, and data sources

6 Types of Triangulation Method: use a variety of methods Time: use a variety of time periods (longitudinal studies) Observer: research by variety of investigators Theory: when similar theories have support Space: study various cultures Combined levels: (individual, group, society) interpretation of research should span all levels

Validity of Findings Validity – does the research do what it claims to do? Does it test what it claims to test? Ecological Validity – study represents what happens in real life. If participants do things in a lab that they wouldn’t do in real life, then it lacks ecological validity Cross-cultural validity – is the research relevant to other cultures or ethnocentric (based on the values and beliefs of one culture)?

Reliability of Findings Reliable – the results can be replicated For experimental study – procedure is standardized, so another researcher should get the exact same results