Lecture Notes: Psychological Research Methods

Introduction

• Research in Psychology: Importance of understanding scientific methods to critically evaluate new information and claims.
• Key Focus: How psychologists conduct research to add new knowledge to the field.

The Scientific Method

• Steps of the Scientific Method: Observation, hypothesis formation, experimentation, data collection, and conclusion.
• Importance of replication and peer review in validating research.

Types of Research Methods

• Descriptive Research: Observational studies, case studies, and surveys.
  • Purpose: To describe characteristics of a population.
  • Limitations: Cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships.
• Correlational Research: Examining relationships between variables.
  • Correlation Coefficient: Indicates strength and direction of a relationship.
  • Limitations: Correlation does not imply causation.
• Experimental Research: Manipulation of variables to establish causal relationships.
  • Independent Variable (IV): The variable being manipulated.
  • Dependent Variable (DV): The variable being measured.
  • Control Group: Not exposed to the IV; used for comparison.
  • Random Assignment: Minimizes bias by evenly distributing participant characteristics.

Ethical Considerations in Research

• Informed Consent: Participants must be aware of the research and any potential risks.
• Confidentiality: Ensuring participant information is kept private.
• Debriefing: Explaining the purpose and results of research to participants afterward.

Data Analysis

• Quantitative Analysis: Statistical methods to analyze numerical data.
• Qualitative Analysis: Analyzing non-numerical data for patterns and meanings.

Conclusion

• Understanding research methods is crucial for evaluating psychological studies.
• Researchers must adhere to ethical standards to protect participants.
• The scientific method is a reliable way to build knowledge in psychology.

Review Questions

1. What are the main types of research methods in psychology?
2. Why is random assignment important in experimental research?
3. How does descriptive research differ from experimental research?
4. What ethical considerations must researchers keep in mind when conducting studies?