Research Methods: Chapter 2 PDF

Research is a Process of Inquiry Research Methods: Chapter 2 Basic Assumptions of Science ◼ ◼ Assumptions are accepted without proof Assumptions of science ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ True, physical universe exists Universe is primarily orderly The principles that define the functioning of the universe can be...

Research is a Process of Inquiry Research Methods: Chapter 2 Basic Assumptions of Science ◼ ◼ Assumptions are accepted without proof Assumptions of science ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ True, physical universe exists Universe is primarily orderly The principles that define the functioning of the universe can be discovered All ideas are tentative, potentially changed by new information Form the basis of all scientific thinking Observation and Inference ◼ ◼ ◼ Facts: those events that can be observed Most “facts” of psychology are behaviors Constructs: inferred from observations ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ Constructed to explain the observations Examples: memory; emotion; personality Used “as if” they really existed Reification of a construct: believing it is a fact when it’s only a construct Inductive & Deductive Thinking ◼ ◼ ◼ Inductive thinking: from the specific instance to the general theory Deductive thinking: from the general theory to predict specific instances Science develops theories through inductive logic and then tests theories with deductive logic Theories in Science ◼ ◼ A simplified explanatory framework for understanding complex phenomena A scientific theory must be both ◼ ◼ ◼ Testable Falsifiable Theories organize data and help predict new data Phases of Research ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ Idea-generating phase Problem-definition phase Procedures-design phase Observation phase Data-analysis phase Interpretation phase Communication phase Idea-Generating Phase ◼ Ideas come from many places ◼ ◼ ◼ The researcher’s own interests The research and theories of others Ideas should be nurtured and developed ◼ ◼ Be curious Read what others think and what they have done Problem-Definition Phase ◼ ◼ The phase in which the ideas are formalized into testable research questions Need to be more critical in this phase ◼ ◼ ◼ How does your idea compare to existing theory and research? Is your idea logical? What does your idea predict? Procedures-Design Phase ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ Your research idea now has to be translated into a testable hypothesis The variables involved in your research question must be defined and procedures for measuring them decided Each step in the research should be planned Ethical issues must be considered Observation Phase ◼ ◼ ◼ Often thought of as “doing the research” It is the central activity of scientific research ◼ The earlier phases were the planning ◼ The later phases will evaluate and interpret the findings The data gathered during this phase will answer the question(s) you raised earlier Data-Analysis Phase ◼ ◼ ◼ Involves the evaluation of the data gathered, usually using statistical procedures The statistical procedures are actually selected in the procedures-design phase Many types of statistics are available ◼ ◼ Depends on the question asked Depends on the nature of the data Interpretation Phase ◼ ◼ Making sense out of the results of the study Involves several steps ◼ ◼ ◼ Interpreting the statistical findings How do the findings relate to the research question asked? Are there other interpretations of the data? Communication Phase ◼ Science is a public enterprise ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ Allows others to judge your work Allows them to build on your work Allows them to challenge your work Many ways to make research public ◼ ◼ Conference presentations Publishing in journals or books Levels of Constraint ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ Naturalistic observation Case-study method Correlational research Differential research Experimental research Naturalistic Observation ◼ Involves observing the natural flow of behavior in a natural setting ◼ ◼ ◼ No effort to control the behavior Often no strong hypotheses going into the study A flexible strategy that allows the research to shift attention to behaviors that seem interesting Case-Study Research ◼ ◼ Slightly higher constraint than naturalistic observation Some intervention on the part of the researcher to structure the observation ◼ ◼ ◼ Asking questions Setting up situations or tasks Typically studying one individual at a time Correlational Research ◼ Interested in finding the direction and strength of a relationship between variables ◼ ◼ ◼ Must be at least two variables Variables must be measured consistently in all individuals (that is, measurement is constrained) Known relationships can be used to predict future events Differential Research ◼ Concerned with evaluating the difference between already existing groups ◼ ◼ ◼ Groups are defined by preexisting variables Group composition is outside of the researcher’s control Interpreting group differences takes skill, knowledge, and caution Experimental Research ◼ Involves comparisons between two or more conditions ◼ ◼ ◼ Unlike differential research, participants are assigned randomly to the conditions Therefore, group differences are due to the impact of the conditions The highest level of constraint Summary ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ ◼ Science rests on a few basic assumptions Observations are the “facts” of science Inference is designed to make sense of the observed facts Theory is critical to the scientific enterprise We can model the domain of psychological research using two factors (phases of research and levels of constraint)