Research study plan

• A plan is needed to carry out a study
• Participants must be people who are willing to take part in the study
• A method is needed for collecting and analyzing data
• The aim is the purpose of the study, clarifying what behavior or mental process will be studied
• The target population is the specific group whose behavior is being investigated
• A procedure is a step-by-step process for executing the study, written clearly for others to understand
• Results consist of the numerical or descriptive data obtained and processed
• Findings are interpretations of the collected data, which remain open to discussion and debate
• Participants are those who actively take part in the study
• The target population represents the group of people of interest to the researcher
• A sample is a subgroup of participants selected from the target population
• Informed consent involves informing participants about the study's nature
• Deception involves intentionally providing inaccurate or false information to subjects
• Debriefing involves revealing the aim and purpose of the study to the participants
• Participants have the right to withdraw from the study
• Confidentiality of information obtained from participants should be maintained
• Participants should be protected from physical or mental harm

Experiment Characteristics

• The goal of an experiment is to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables
• Experiments happen under controlled conditions
• Quantitative research generates numerical data.

Standardized Procedures

• Use highly standardized procedures with detailed written instructions
• Provide the same directions to all participants during the experiment

True Experiment Requirements

• One group of subjects must be separated into a control group and an experimental group
• The other group must have a variable being studied that is controlled by the researcher
• Independent Variable (IV) causes a change in the other variable
• Groups need to be randomly assigned

Dependent Variable

• The Dependent variable (DV) is measured after manipulating the IV

Operationalized Variables

• Variables such as Controlled and Extraneous, need to be operationalized
• They need to be written clearly, and what is being measured needs to be clear

Controlled Variables

• Variables that are kept constant to prevent them influencing the relationship between the IV and the DV

Extraneous variables

• Other variables, such as behaviour or cognitive processes, that may influence the results of the study

Noise Experiment Example

• Aiming to determine if noise affects one's ability to recall information
• The Independent Variable (IV) is dissonant rock music played at a volume of 100 decibels
• The Dependent Variable (DV) is the number of words remembered from a list of 30 words

Data Collection Method

• The Data collection method aims to describe behavior without trying to establish a cause-and-effect relationship

Observational Methods

• Naturalistic environment
• Lab setting
• Participant observation - researcher is a part of a group
• Non-participant observation – researcher is NOT a part of a group
• Covert observation – participants do not know of being observed
• Overt observation – participants know the researcher

Sociocultural Research

• In sociocultural research, the goal is to see how people interact and influence each other
• Various research methods - both qualitative and quantitative - are used to study behaviour

Quantitative Methods

• Quantitative methods, such as experiments and surveys, are used extensively
• Qualitative methods, such as focus groups, participant observations, and semi-structured interviews, are also used by many researchers within the field

Method Triangulation

• Method triangulation is when studying behavior by both quantitative and qualitative methods
• Shifting to a more qualitative approach tends to be more holistic
• Allows reporting much richer detail about the lives of individual participants
• Researchers often interact with participants
• Researchers get a much better understanding of the participants' perspective

Qualitative Researchers

• Qualitative researchers are concerned with the richness of data
• They take detailed field notes and use descriptive data that can be analyzed in depth to really capture the subjective world of the participants

Naturalistic settings

• A significant amount of research is naturalistic
• It is done in the environments in which the behavior is most likely to take place
• Methods mentioned do not manipulate an independent variable
• Researchers can see trends in several similar studies and begin to see which behaviors indicate consistency across multiple studies

Participant Observation

• Social psychologists frequently attempt to "see the world through the eyes of the people being studied"
• Participant observation occurs when researchers immerse themselves in a social setting for an extended period of time and observe behavior
• Overt observation - when the participants in the group know that they are being observed
• Covert observation - If the researcher does not inform the participants that they are being observed

Overt Observations

• Require the researcher to gain the trust of the group that is to be observed
• As seen in O'Reilly's study in 2000, who acted as a volunteer in local British clubs in Fuengirola on the Costa Del Sol
  • Conducted field research over fifteen months and studied how British expatriates saw themselves
  • Contrary to beliefs, it's more complex than paradise-seekers attending endless cocktail parties
• Immersion: To uncover this complexity, O'Reilly spent significant time with expatriates
• Actively participating in conversations
• Conducting interviews
• Observing behavior in different situations, developing non-judgmental relationships

Covert Observations

• Used with suspicious groups
• Researchers must gain trusts through deceit
• Researchers record data without informing participants
• Note taking challenges
• Data is limited due to fear of being “discovered”

Biological Factors

• Include brain function and abnormalities
• Neurochemicals, neurotransmitters and hormones
• Genetics
• Microbiomes

Cognitive Approach

• Behaviour is based on patterns of thinking

Cognitive Factors

• Schema
• Patterns of thinking and beliefs
• Memory
• Decision making strategies ( such as heuristics)
• Learned behaviours

Sociocultural Approach

• Behaviour is based on cultural norms and the influence of other people and the environment

Sociocultural Factors

• Cultural factors
• Social factors: SES (socioeconomic status), education, gender roles
• Environmental factors - stress
• Family environment

Assumptions of the Sociocultural Approach

• Culture influences behaviour
• Human beings are social animals, and have a basic need to "belong"
• Behaviour is influenced by others, even when we believe that we are acting independently.
• Social context (situational factors) plays a key role in human behavior
• Humans have both an individual and a social self

Scientific Method

• A theory is an explanation that has been repeatedly tested and verified by the scientific method
• Theories are based on empirical evidence
• Theories need to be tested so that we can "prove them false."

Psychology

• Psychology is the scientific study of the behaviour and mental processes of individuals
• It is affected by an individual's physical state, mental state, and external environment

Falsifiability

• Should be testable
• If it isn't testable, then it's a belief
• Theories need to be tested to be proven wrong
• Well-defined constructs that can be measured

Theory Measurement

• Define stress and think of a way to measure it to test a hypothesis
• Theories are also based on assumptions
• Assumptions are usually grounded in what the IB calls an "approach."

Biological Theories

• Based on the assumption that our behaviours are the result of physiological processes
• Biologists believe that behaviours may be genetically inherited

Good Theories

• Good and testable
• Falsifiable

TEACUP

• When looking at good theories, use the acronym TEACUP
• T: Testable
• E: Evidence
• A: Application
• C: Constructs
• U: Unbiased
• P: Predicts

Anecdotal data

• Based on personal experience
• It often cannot be replicated.
• The data is subjective and often confirms one's personal beliefs about the world.
• Pop Psychology consists of explanations of human behavior, but which scientific evidence

Scientific psychology

• Based on research methods
• Supported by an empirical evidence
• Should be falsifiable (should be possible for the theory or study to be proven wrong)
• Should be a history of attempts to test the theory or replicate the study
• Cognitive theories say the way we perceive our environment and think about ourselves affects our behaviour
• Sociocultural theories say our behaviour is affected by other people and our environment.
• Dweck argued that our behaviour is determined by our mindset
• You either have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset