3. Types of Research Methods

Descriptive Research Methods - These are done when a researcher just wants to describe what is going on in a situation.  You can't make any predictions from these methods and you certainly can't make any causes and effect claims.  There are three specific types of descriptive research.  The researcher only describes, nothing is manipulated.

1. Case Studies - this is an in-depth study of a person or a small group usually done for situations that are rare or cannot be replicated.
2. Naturalistic Observation - this is when the researcher watches and records behavior of an organism in its natural setting.  
3. Surveys - these are questions given out to a sample of a population.

Correlational Research - this is done when a researcher wants to show that two variables are related to that one variable can be used to make a prediction about another variable.  Oftentimes that data for correlational research will be gathered by giving a survey.  It is important to note, that because only two variables were studied and no other confounding variables were controlled or investigated that the researcher can NOT make any statements about causation.  The researcher just plots the values for each reported variable, nothing is manipulated.

Experimental Research - this is done when the researcher wants to see if variable A causes a change in variable B.  The researcher manipulates the independent variable and then measures the impact that has on the dependent variable.  Because confounding variables are controlled for and statistical significance will be calculated, the researcher can find out if A causes B.  

Here is another pair of often confused terms.  If you keep mixing these up, try this video.

Now that our test if 45 mins and most likely some type of mutant FRQ, I think it's pretty much a lock that a good portion of it will be about research methods.  

One of the easiest ways for the College Board to go is to make sure that you know the difference between these two terms.  

Random Sampling is done when you are working on a survey.  You can remember this because both the words sampling and survey start with an 'S'.  In random sampling every member of the population you are studying has an equal chance of being selected.  The best way to accomplish this is to create an alphabetical list of the population and select every Xth name depending on how big you need your sample to be.  By randomly selecting participants you make an unbiased representation of the population.  It does get a little more complicated than that.  If you have small groups in your population that may be missed by a pure random sample you can do what is called representative sampling.  (A representative sample is a subset of a population that seeks to accurately reflect the characteristics of the larger group. For example, a classroom of 30 students with 15 males and 15 females, could generate a representative sample that might include six students: three males and three females.)

Random Assignment is done when you are conducting an experiment.  Remember that you can't force participants to take part in your experiment.  The first need to volunteer but after they do, you need to put them into the control or the experimental group.  You need to assign them randomly.  To do this you again get an alphabetical list and then you assignment every other participant into either the control or experimental group.  

What do both of them have in common?  They both use randomness to keep biases out of the research.  By randomly doing either you make sure that age, intelligence, gender, and personality do not become confounding variables.

Wow!  What a resource.  Especially during this wacky year where 100% of your AP Psych grade will be FRQ based.  Below is document created by Ms. Stiles that shows every FRQ term tested by the College Board in the last 9 years.  Do you want a great place to start your studying?  I'd start right here.  Let's use this post to discuss any terms that you don't feel 100% comfy with.
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I'll start off with a commonly confused term from Unit 1 that's appeared 6 times in the last 9 years, operational definitions.  Scientific research requires that we can quantify our findings.  That means we need to be able to measure our variables using numbers so that we can performance helpful statistical analysis of the variables.  The problem in psych is that sometimes the variables we are measuring don't have rules on how to measure them.  

We have rules on how to measure height (inches and feet), time (seconds and hours), speed (miles per hour) and temperature (degrees in Fahrenheit or Celsius).  But what if your variable is success in school.  What will be your rule to measure that.  We often use GPA as the set of rules.  But is that the best definition of academic success?  What are the specifics of your rule.  Does it weight harder classes as more?  Does it count PE?  

When you do psych research you need to create rules on how you plan to measure your variables.   You need to explain those rules very carefully so that additional research that is done can be compared to your findings.  You can't compare a study that uses an unweighted definition of GPA and compare that directly one that does weighted.  The data isn't the same.  Making a clearly defined operational definition helps keep this clear.

An operational definition is the statement of procedures the researcher is going to use in order to measure a specific variable.

Students sometimes mix up these approaches to psychology.  I've found the following to be very helpful.

1.  Cognitive Psychology is about our mental processes that we are aware of.  It's about how you solve problems, make decisions, use language and think about your world.  It was a reaction to the Behavioral approach that just wanted to look at the outward behavior of an organism.

2.  Psychodynamic psychology is about your unconscious.  In this view, your unconscious is filled with things that generally cause you problems and drag you down.  You spend much of your time trying to overcome this anchor.  

3.  Humanistic Psychology is rooted in a firm belief that you will, as a wonderful human, find ways to improve.  Here it is about reaching your full potential and moving up.  This is very different from the downward movement in psychodynamic psychology.  Humanism was in part a reaction to the pessimism and over reliance on the unconscious from the psychodynamic approach.

One of the best places to start your review for our exam is to look back over the major approaches to Psychology.  We talked about these at the beginning of the year, and now you've spent the rest of the year studying units about each of these approaches.  To begin your exam review I would re-read the approaches reading.  This time you'll be reading it as someone who now has a deeper understanding of each approach.  

Approaches Reading
I would create note cards for each approach and see if you can list key terms that go with each of these.  As you do this, feel free to ask questions about the approaches below.