UNIT 2 - THE RESEARCH PROCESS SN PDF
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Uploaded by WellBeingBodhran
University of Guelph
Danny M. Pincivero, Ph.D.
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This document is a lecture or presentation about the research process in psychology that covers various key concepts such as hypotheses, theories, and research methods. It also touches upon experimental and non-experimental designs.
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The Research Process Danny M. Pincivero, Ph.D. 1 The Research Process UNIT 2 OBJECTIVES Constructing a research study….. The research question and literature search. Developing the hypothesis. Testing the hypothesis……. Evaluate results and derive conclusions. 2 Where do I start? Interest and problem...
The Research Process Danny M. Pincivero, Ph.D. 1 The Research Process UNIT 2 OBJECTIVES Constructing a research study….. The research question and literature search. Developing the hypothesis. Testing the hypothesis……. Evaluate results and derive conclusions. 2 Where do I start? Interest and problem identification. 3 Where do I start? Department of Psychology, University of Guelph 4 Where do I start? Department of Psychology, University of Guelph 5 The literature search https://guides.lib.uoguelph.ca/PSYC/Start 6 The literature search 7 Developing the research question Introspection Self-observation and reflection….. Find the exception to the rule Considering……. A matter of degree Conceptualize…... Personality…… The Big Five traits. 8 The hypothesis Hypothesis…... What do you think might happen? Sometimes…... Research hypothesis……. Statistical hypothesis…... Null vs alternative hypotheses……. Scientific Law A statement based on repeated experimental observation. Conclusive observations…….. Scientific Theory Psychology relies much more on theories than laws. 9 Theories What is a theory? “….a model of the universe, or a restricted part of it, and a set of rules that relate quantities in the model to observations….”. A good theory satisfies 2 requirements: 1. Must accurately describe a large class of observations, on the basis of a model. 2. Must make definite predictions about the results of future observations. Theories are……. Can be proven?....... Theories can be……. Theory survival?..... What about disagreements?... 10 Theories Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation 2 bodies will attract each other with a force directly proportional to the product of the 2 masses, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Law…... 11 Evaluating the hypothesis What are the key concepts in the hypothesis? Variables…..elements in a study that can vary or assume different values. Constant A factor in a study……. Experimental control……. 12 Evaluating the hypothesis How will I define these concepts? Conceptual Definition…... Operational Definition….. Personality…… “Characteristic thoughts, emotional responses, and behaviours that are relatively stable in an individual over time across circumstances……. Research study…….. More specific…... Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism 13 The hypothesis Deductive hypothesis Based upon a….... Inductive hypothesis Based primarily on……. Examining patterns displayed……. Research hypothesis States what the experimenter thinks will happen. Variables will be different or related to each other…..OR…. 14 The hypothesis 15 Evaluating the hypothesis Does it correspond with reality? It should be consistent with past research. Foundational……. Is it parsimonious? Principle of parsimony……. Making minimum number of assumptions….. How specific is it? The Barnum effect…..the tendency of people to believe general descriptions of their personality are highly accurate. Is it falsifiable or refutable? Research study must……. 16 Experimental Design Independent variable (X) Refers to a variable that is manipulated or under the control of the researcher. New drug to treat psychotic episodes. Independent variable……. Group 1: Placebo…... Group 2: Treatment….... Dependent variable (Y) Referred to as the……. What will be measured. 17 Non-experimental Designs Explanatory (or predictor) variable Criterion (or response) variable: The outcome variable in nonexperimental designs. Stets & Turner, Handbook of the Sociology of Emotions, Vol. II. Springer, 2014. 18 Research studies and sampling Obtaining measures from people (qualitative and/or quantitative) Where do these people (i.e., research participants) come from? In Canada, they MUST volunteer.......AFTER, the potential participant understands all relevant information about the study. 19 Applying statistics to research Must have “variables” Anything that, when measured, will produce 2 or more different scores. Qualitative Research participant information that is NOT measured in “amounts” but classifies the participant based on the measure. Quantitative A number is assigned to a measure obtained from a research participant. Indicates “amount” 20
