Research Methods in BLOA October 2, 2017

Discuss how and why particular research methods are used at the biological level of analysis

Types of Research Methods

Case Study A long-term study of an individual or group. The study is naturalistic and the researcher does not manipulate any variables. Case studies use triangulation - that is, more than one research method - in order to get a holistic picture of the individual or group. If more than one research method is used, then it is a case study. In the case of HM, for example, the researchers carried out interviews with him and his family, observed his behavior on everyday tasks, carried out brain-scans, and did memory and learning tasks with him

Correlational Study Correlations look for a statistical relationship between two variables. The simplest forms of correlation are that one variable increases, the other variable increases (a positive correlation) or when one variable increases, the other variable decreases (negative correlation). If you think that a study is correlational, you should be able to fill in the following sentence: As x goes up, y goes up (or down). If you cannot fill in that sentence, it is probably not correlational. So, when frightened by a strange animal the amygdala is activated, this is not a correlation. There needs to be a statistical relationship between the two variables in order for correlation to be established.

Experiment A study done under strictly controlled conditions. At least one independent variable is manipulated (or changed) by the researcher and its effect on a dependent variable is measured while attempting to keep extraneous variables controlled. This is the only method that can establish a cause-and-effect relationship between the IV and the DV. If you think that something is an experiment, you should be able to identify the IV and the DV. If you cannot determine that an IV was manipulated, it is probably not an experiment. Just doing a procedure does not make something experimental.

Observation Observations may take place either in a lab or in a natural environment. The researcher may simply watch natural behavior without manipulating any variables - Leg. watching children play at recess; or the researcher may add a stimulus in order to see how it affects behavior - eg. bringing a stranger into the room and seeing how people react; exposing people to pictures of their loved ones and watching how their brain reacts. The data that is gathered is descriptive and there is no clear dependent variable that is identified. Most brain scanning studies are observational in nature.

Remember that on the IB exam you should choose from the following research methods: experiments, correlations, case studies, interviews and observations.

Kahoot with Research Methods

For tomorrow Google Classroom assignment over Empirical Research Read Pearson pages 60-61