Research Methods If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? Albert Einstein

Descriptive Research Basic Purpose: To observe and record behavior. Case Studies Surveys Correlational Studies Naturalistic Observation

Case Study & in-depth Interview Examines one individual in depth in hopes of revealing things true of all people Advantages Provides in-depth information on individuals, or a particular group. Provides ideas for further research Disadvantages Cannot always generalize the results to other individuals (atypical sample) Cannot draw cause & effect conclusions Time, expense Examines one individual in depth in hopes of revealing things true of all people They often show us what can happen – gives ideas for more research Individual may be atypical – false conclusions

Surveys Advantages Disadvantages Can obtain descriptive information about large groups of people. Disadvantages May produce biased results because of atypical sample, overly positive answers, and/or inaccurate recall Cannot draw cause & effect relationship If we added a choice of "Football practice", we may find that football practice is someone's favorite "activity" at school, but it is not relevant to this particular question which asks "Which subject do you enjoy the most at school?" Consistency is very important in writing the list of responses. All of the responses should be similar so that no single response stands out to the individual except the answer that is true for them. Consistency simply helps to ensure that you are not leading respondents to a particular answer by making that answer different from the others. It also makes it much easier for respondents to find the answer that is relevant to them. In this example, the second choice is exactly the same as what we had before, but it is listed in minutes rather than hours making it inconsistent with the other answer choices. Listing answer choices in this way is very confusing for the respondent and makes it more likely that they will provide you with incorrect information.

Consistency is very important in writing the list of responses Consistency is very important in writing the list of responses. All of the responses should be similar so that no single response stands out to the individual except the answer that is true for them. Consistency simply helps to ensure that you are not leading respondents to a particular answer by making that answer different from the others. It also makes it much easier for respondents to find the answer that is relevant to them. In the previous example, the second choice is exactly the same as what we had before, but it is listed in minutes rather than hours making it inconsistent with the other answer choices. Listing answer choices in this way is very confusing for the respondent and makes it more likely that they will provide you with incorrect information

Stop! Read “Random Sampling” and then discuss and fill out your guided reading for question 12, c and d. Define Population Define Random Sample Population: All the cases in a group being studies from which samples may be drawn Random Sample: Every person in the group has an equal chance of being drawn/participating. Randomly sample PART of the population to survey – don’t sample all.

Naturalistic Observation observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation Advantages Provides information about people and animals in real-world settings. Disadvantages May be difficult to conduct research on infrequent behavior. Cannot draw cause & effect relationship Naturalistic observation: observing and recording behavior in naturally occurring situations without trying to manipulate or control the situation

Correlation Advantages Disadvantages Measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus how well one either factor predicts the other Advantages Can study behavior in real world settings. Can determine whether two variables are related. (predictive) Computing statistical association, sometimes among survey responses. Disadvantages Cannot draw cause & effect relationship Measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus how well one either factor predicts the other Correlation between smoking and lung cancer in US males, showing a 20-year time lag between increased smoking rates and increased incidence of lung cancer.

Correlation Negative Correlation Positive Correlation Perfect = -1 Two sets of scores relate inversely, one set going up as the other goes down Positive Correlation Perfect = +1 Two sets of scores rise or fall together Measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus how well one either factor predicts the other

Correlations (Co-relation) r = -1.0 (strong negative correlation) ↑↓ r = +1.0 (strong positive correlation) ↑↑ or ↓↓ r = 0 (No Correlation) Correlation coefficients help us determine the direction and strength of a relationship. Correlation does NOT imply causation!! Correlations help us to Predict. They can not PROVE a cause/effect relationship

Illusionary Correlation Perceived by nonexistent correlation When we believe there is a relationship between two things, we recall instances that confirm our beliefs. Measure of the extent to which two factors vary together, and thus how well one either factor predicts the other

Experiment Advantages: Disadvantages: A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or ore factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable). Advantages: Can control potentially confounding variables Can draw cause & effect relationship Disadvantages: May be difficult to generalize to real world settings. Cannot manipulate many variables. A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or ore factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable).

Experimental Research Basic Purpose: To explore cause & effect. Manipulate 1 or more factors and use random assignment to eliminate preexisting differences among subjects. Experiment

Experiment Independent Variable Confounding Variable Experimental factor being manipulated; the variable being studied Confounding Variable A factor other than the independent variable that might produce and effect on a an experiment Dependent Variable The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable A research method in which an investigator manipulates one or ore factors (independent variables) to observe the effect on some behavior or mental process (the dependent variable).

Which Research Method ? A director of a child welfare agency wants to understand the current beliefs and feelings of her many clients who were abused when they were children so that she can provide them with the support they need to prevent them from abusing their own children. survey

Which research Method? A high school teacher wants to know if allowing his students to listen to their favorite music on their iPods during tests will cause their test scores to increase. Experiment

Which research Method? A life insurance executive wants to know the percentage of people who obey traffic laws (i.e. wearing their seat belts or coming to a complete stop at a stop sign.) Naturalistic observation

Which research method ? A political biographer wants to know the specific people and events that motivated Bill Clinton to enter politics and eventually run for president. Correlation

Which research Method ? Ms. Norman wants to explore the relationship between the number of hours spent sleeping and GPA. survey

Operational Definitions Underlined Words Sense of humor More friendly toward the other children Depressed Study more efficiently Tiredness Affection Dream Smart Prettier Snobs School spirit Effeminate Better athletes Best rock group Better school