1. Research Methods in Psychology PSY 311
Week 1: Introduction
Dr Sabahat Çiğdem Bağcı

2. Session Overview Introduction to psychology as a science
Quantitative vs. Qualitative research
Characteristics of quantitative research

3. Psychology as a science
Psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes.
When we try to understand events in the world around us, we sometimes turn to
Folk wisdom (halk arası inanış)
Common sense (sağduyu)
Action research: Researcher involved in implementing a change in conditions and monitors the effects

4. Goal: Find objective answers to important questions
Objectivity
Goal: Find objective answers to important questions
What are the factors that cause aggression?
How can we reduce drug addiction?
How do babies learn to talk?

5. Psychological research methods
To understand our world we can look for insights and explanations through psychological research methods.
A good psychologist
asks good questions
gather useful information
arrive at appropriate conclusions, and
develop and ask further questions based on the information collected.

6. Scientific method
The scientific method is a system of investigation in which a person makes careful observations of a phenomenon, proposes theories to explain the phenomenon, makes hypotheses about future behaviors, and then tests these hypotheses through more research and observation.

7. Old – new facts Scientific research empirically based
Although sometimes it is possible that some statements become entirely or partially incorrect in later studies (Stangor, 2011)
Old facts discarded – new facts accepted until new data arrive

8. Theory vs. Hypothesis
A theory is an explanation for a phenomenon based on careful and precise observations.
A hypothesis is a prediction about future behaviors that is derived from observation and theories.

9. Goals of psychology Controlling What Happens
Describing What Happens
Explaining What Happens
Predicting What Will Happen
Controlling What Happens

10. Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research
“A research strategy that emphasises words rather than quantification in the collection of data”
Interested in how individuals interpret their social world
inductive approach
“A research strategy that emphasises quantification in the collection of data”
seeking to directly measure the social world
deductive approach
My idea of democracy might be different from George bush’s idea of democracy
My idea of motivation might be different from Frederick Taylor’s idea of motivation
(Bryman, 2001)

11. Induction and Deduction
Induction/ Deduction/ Qualitative Quantitative
Theory
Hypothesis
Data 1 2 3 4 5
Theory
Data 1 2 3 4 5
Epistemology: concerns the nature and production of knowledge
Ontology: refers to the existence of things and the nature of the world
Because of some more deep rooted distinctions, concerns regarding the compatibility of quantitative and qualitative research

12. Assumptions of Quantitative RM
Objective, measurable reality
Regularities in events / differences / relationships, that can be represented by numbers
Make causative statements and develop predictions
Findings can be generalised

13. ‘Good’ Research Based upon sound theory
Testable & replicable hypotheses developed
Appropriate research design adopted
Suitable data collected
Sufficient and relevant sample of observations
Data collection has validity and reliability
Appropriate analysis of data
Correct statistical tests selected and conducted properly
Correct implications drawn from findings
Sufficient: enough numbers to generalise/satisfy the power assumptions of tests
Sample: Sampling from populations/avoiding a biased sample
Validity: Extent to which your conceptualisations & operationalisations are an accurate reflection of the real world
Reliability: Extent to which your measurements are consistent and free from error
Reliability:

14. Assumptions about Statistics

15. Quantitative Research

16. Course structure Tuesdays – Theoric Thursdays – Applied (SPSS)
Books from the library
Reading ref on course online
Slides uploaded on course online

17. policy
Instructor’s office hours: Friday (only by )
address:
Please try not to me if you can ask someone else
If this is urgent, quote ‘urgent’ in your mail subject.

18. Week
Topic 1
Introduction: Psychology as science, marking, syllabus
No lecture 2
Basics of quantitative RM – variable types, main research designs sampling
Basics of quantitative RM - hypothesis testing, inferential tests
first look at SPSS and data entry 3
Means, standard deviations, distributions
Exercise on SPSS 4
Distributions and z-scores
Descriptives on SPSS, compute means, reverse coding, Assignment I 5
One sample t-tests, paired samples t-test, Assignment I due date
T-tests II (application) 6
Independent samples t-test
Workshop I, Assignment II 7
Revision, Assignment II due date
Midterm exam 8
Correlations
Correlations II (application)

19. Week
Topic 9
Simple regression
Simple regression II (application) 10
ANOVA tests
ANOVA tests II (application) 11
Workshop II
Workshop II continued 12
Non-parametric tests
Assignment III (in class) 13
Multiple regression I
Multiple regression II (application) 14
Workshop III
Workshop III continued

20. Assessment
30% Midterm exam
30% Coursework assignment
40% Final exam

21. Grading 100-90 => AA 89-85 => BA 84-80 => BB 79-70 => CB
69-60 => CC
59-50 => DC
49-40 => DD
39 and below => F