Research methods

Research methods

1. Hypothesis

   • Operational defination
     • Observable actions or conditions that are used to measure or control variables
   • A starting theory for the experiment

2. Variables

   • Independent Variables
     • A characteristic that is changed for the purpose of the experiment
   • Dependent Variables
     • The outcome of the independent Variables
   • Extraneous Variables
     • A variable that is not the independent variable that can affect the outcome of the experiment
   • Confounding of Varibles
     • Two variables related in a way that makes it hard to separate them

3. Methods

   • Random assignment
     • All subjects have a equal chance of being in any group
   • Representative sample
   • Population sample
   • Subjects
     • Control group
       • The group who do not receive treatment used as a bench mark
     • Experimental Group
       • The group that receives treatment from the researchers

4. Procedure

   • observation
     • Naturalistic observation
       • The researcher does not intervene directly
   • Questionnaire/ survey
   • Interview
   • Experiment
   • Partisapation
   • Case study
     • A detailed analysis of an individual subject
   • Bias
     • Sampling bias
     • Placebo effect
     • Experimenter bias
     • Social desirability bias
     • Double-Blind study
       • neither the researcher of the subject knows who is the controll group or the experimental group

5. Ethics

   • The research must can't hurt or demean people
   • The research must benefit society in some way
   • The psychologist is expected, to be honest, and show integrity in relationships formed over the course of the experiment
   • The research must be used for betterment of society as a whole

6. Statistics

   • Median
     • a score that falls in the centre of the scores
   • mean
     • the average of the scores collected
   • The use of math to summarize and explain data
   • Mode
     • the most repeated score
   • Descriptive statstics