1. Reviewing the literature & Getting a research idea Psych 231: Research Methods in Psychology

2. Announcements OOPS! Error on the library exercise in PIP packet (3) Should be: Using PsycInfo, find an article by Simone Nguyen & Gregory Murphy that was published in 2003. (NOT 1997) This assignment is due in labs next week, but I strongly suggest that you do the assignment as soon after today’s lecture as you can

3. Reviewing the literature Why do a review of the literature?  Getting ideas, finding out what has/hasn’t been done, avoid past mistakes, etc.  What is the literature?  Primary and secondary sources  How do you search the literature?  Guest lecturer: Bruce Stoffel, psychology librarian

4. Where do ideas come from? Research is often driven by curiosity. We typically study things that we’re interested in. Continuum of the development of research ideas InformalFormal “This is interesting. I’d like to know more.” “The theory says X. Let’s test the theory.” “We’ve got a problem to solve.” “We understand some things, but there are still questions.”

5. Where do ideas come from? Glueck & Jauck (1975) Examined where researchers tend to get their research ideas Self Literature Colleagues % of time get ideas from various sources

6. Idea origins Common Sense – things that we all think are true “Opposites attract” Nice social psych experiment, does this work? But note: a lot of our common sense is contradictory absence makes the heart grow fonder long distance affairs never last

7. Idea origins Common Sense Observation – both of others and of yourself (and maybe even of animals or kids). Direct observation - includes public observation, self observation, observing children, observing animals Vicarious observation - what somebody else has observed and reported

8. Idea origins Common Sense Observation Past research – find out what research has already been done and ask yourself “what don’t we know still” (or perhaps better “what do we NEED to know that we don’t already know) follow-up studies, expanding the past research in more detail or new directions improvements on past research studies, maybe you think the past research had some serious flaws or limitations

9. Idea origins Common Sense Observation Past research Identify a problem – perhaps there is an important problem or issue that needs a (or some) solution(s). WWII - why do air force’s planes keep crashing? Led to early cognitive theories of attention

10. Idea origins Common Sense Observation Past research Identify a problem Ask the Experts – basically boils down to putting your trust in somebody else who says that they know what the research

11. Idea origins Common Sense Observation Past research Identify a problem Ask the Experts Stick with it and get lucky (serendipity) Look at Ivan Pavlov

12. Next time What makes a good research idea? How to read a research article