Psychology Research Methods Tuesday: Bring Headphones!!

Sample  The small group of participants, out of the total number available that a researcher studies.

Naturalistic Observation  Method in which psychologists observe the subject in a natural setting without interfering.  Examples : Jane Goodall

Case Study  Method that involves an intensive investigation of one or more participants.  Example: Freud

Surveys  Method in which information is obtained by asking many individuals a set of fixed questions.  Example: Voting Projections

Longitudinal Study  Method in which data is collected about a group of participants over a number of years to assess how certain characteristics change or remain the same during development.  Example : Mr. Hannah follows you to college

Cross-Sectional Studies  Method in which data is collected from groups or participants of different ages and compared so that conclusions can be drawn about such differences due to age.  Tracking learning abilities at different ages.

Experimentation

 Researcher controls the situation to analyze samples.  Example : Creating a simulation of a fight to test the bystander theory.

Some Experimentation Terms

Self-fulfilling prophesy  Situation where a researcher’s expectations influence the sample’s behavior, making an inauthentic experiment.  Examples: Counting horse, Inkblots

Single-Blind Experiment  Experiment where the participants are unaware of which participants received the treatment.  Example: Milgram Experiment

Double-Blind Experiment  An experiment which neither the experimenters nor the participants know which participants received the treatment.  How could this be more authentic than a single blind experiment?

Placebo Effect  A change in a participant’s illness or behavior that results from a belief that the treatment will have an effect, rather than the actual treatment.

Reflection  Which research method do you think is best? (naturalistic observation, survey, case study, experiment, longitudinal, cross-sectional)