Research Designs in Psychology

Research Design Types

• To test the effect of music on Senior High School students' mood, a causal-comparative research design would be used.
• To measure the level of confidence of HUMSS students and its relationship to their oral performance in class, a correlational research design is most appropriate.
• To compare the level of environmental awareness between rural and urban Senior High School students while looking for relationships between variables, a survey research design would be suitable.

Characteristics of Research Designs

• Experimental design is distinguished from other research designs by its manipulation of a variable to observe its effect on the outcome.
• Correlational design is set apart from other research designs by its focus on observing relationships between variables without manipulation.
• Naturalistic observation design focuses on observing behavior in its natural setting without intervention or manipulation.

Functions of Research Design

• The purpose of a research design in a study is to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.
• Experimental research design involves manipulating one or more variables to observe their effect on the outcome.
• A Non-Experimental research design does not involve manipulation of variables; instead, it involves observing and analyzing existing data.
• The three types of Non-Experimental research designs mentioned are surveys, correlational studies, and ex post facto studies.
• True Experimental research design involves random assignment of participants to groups, whereas Quasi-Experimental research design does not involve random assignment.

Applications of Research Design

• A descriptive research design was used to describe the participants' intelligence through their scores in Math.
• A correlational research design was employed to establish a relationship between the participants' Math scores and their attitude.
• Research design plays a crucial role in a study by ensuring the validity and reliability of the findings.
• Research design can provide a systematic approach to data collection and analysis for a study.

Learn about different research designs in psychology such as Descriptive and Correlational designs. Understand how research design serves as a framework to guide sample selection and data collection for studies.