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Research Methods and Its Advantages (Assignment 2)

The document summarizes research methods including descriptive research, correlational research, and experimental research. Descriptive research methods are outlined as naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys. Correlational research examines the relationship between two variables, and can identify positive or negative correlations. Experimental research deliberately manipulates an independent variable to measure its effects on a dependent variable through treatments, control groups, and random assignment. Key advantages and disadvantages are provided for each research method.

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Jamal Ahmad
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49 views11 pages

Research Methods and Its Advantages (Assignment 2)

The document summarizes research methods including descriptive research, correlational research, and experimental research. Descriptive research methods are outlined as naturalistic observation, case studies, and surveys. Correlational research examines the relationship between two variables, and can identify positive or negative correlations. Experimental research deliberately manipulates an independent variable to measure its effects on a dependent variable through treatments, control groups, and random assignment. Key advantages and disadvantages are provided for each research method.

Uploaded by

Jamal Ahmad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Name: Jamal Ahmad, Samra, Farwa, Muqaddas

Reg #: BSP201016, 201021, 201028,201002


Date: 25-March-2020
Course: Intro to Psychology
Section: (1)
Assignment No: (2)
Description: Research Methods

Submitted to: Dr. Ishrat Yousaf

Capital University of Science &


Technology
Research Methods and its
Advantages & Disadvantages
Research:
Research is creative and systematic work
undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge, including
knowledge of humans, culture and society, and the use of this
stock of knowledge to devise new applications.

There are three types of researches


1. Descriptive Research
 Naturalistic Observation
 Case Study
 Survey Research
2. Correlation Research
3. Experimental Research

1. Descriptive Research
 Naturalistic Observation:
Research in which an
investigator observes some naturally occurring behavior and does not
make a change in the situation
 Explanation:
For example, a researcher investigating
helping behavior might observe the king of help given to victims in a
high crime area of a city.
The important point to remember about naturalistic
observation is that the researcher simply records what occurs, making
no modification in the situation that is being observed.

 Advantages:

1. It allows researchers to study things that cannot be manipulated in a lab


due to ethical concerns. For example, while it would be unethical to
study the effects of imprisonment by actually confining subjects,
researchers can gather information by using naturalistic observation in
real prison settings.
2. It can help support the external validity of the research. It is one thing to
say that the findings of a lab study will generalize to a larger
population; but quite another to actually observe those findings
occurring in a natural setting.

 Disadvantages:

1. One of the disadvantages of naturalistic observation includes the fact


that it can be difficult to determine the exact cause of behavior and the
experimenter cannot control for outside variables.
2. People may behave differently when they know they are being
watched. Sometimes people try to behave better than they normally
would in order to appear more socially desirable or acceptable.
3. People may try to behave in a certain way in order to confirm to what
they think the researchers expect to see.
4. Different observers may draw different conclusions from the same
witnessed behavior .
1. Descriptive Research
 Case Study:
An in-depth, intensive investigation of an
individual or small group of people.

 Explanation:
Case studies often include psychological
testing, a procedure in which a carefully designed set of questions is
used to gain some insight into the personality of the individual or
group. Sigmund Freud (psychoanalyst) developed his theories through
case studies of individual patients.

 Advantages:

1. They are efficient for rare diseases or diseases with a long latency
period between exposure and disease manifestation.
2. They are less costly and less time consuming; they are advantageous
when exposure date is expensive or hard to obtain.
3. They are advantageous when studying dynamic populations in which
follow-up is difficult.

 Disadvantages:

1. They are subject to selection bias.


2. They are insufficient for rare exposures.
3. Information on exposure is subject to observation bias.
4. They generally do not allow calculation of incidence (absolute risk)
1. Descriptive Research
 Survey Research:
Research in which people chosen to
represent a larger population are asked a series of questions about their
behavior thoughts, or attitudes.

 Explanation:
Survey methods have become so
sophisticated that even with a very small sample researchers are able to
infer with great accuracy how a larger group would respond.
For instance, a sample of just a few thousand voters is
sufficient to predict within one or two percentage points who will win a
presidential election if the representative sample is chosen with care.

 Advantages:

1. The advantage of a survey is that if is an efficient way to obtain much


information from a large number of people.
2. They are relatively easy to administer.
3. Because they are standardized, they are relatively free from several
types of errors.

 Disadvantages:

1. The disadvantages of a survey is that such information can contain


errors or be biased because people may not remember accurately or
answer truthfully.
2. Surveys do not give a full sense of social processes and the analysis
seems superficial.

2. Correlational Research:
Research in which the relationship
between two sets of variables is examined to determine whether they
are associated or “correlated”.

 Explanation:
Variables are behavior, events, or other
characteristics that can change or vary, in some way.
The strength and direction of the relationship between
the two variables are represented by a mathematical statistic known as
a correlation (or more formally, a correlation coefficient) which can
range from +1,0 to -1,0.

 Positive Correlation:
A positive correlation
indicates that as the value of one variable increases, we can predict
that the value of the other variable will also increase.
 A perfect positive correlation is +1,0.
 The closer the correlation is to +1,0 the stronger the relationship.
 Negative Correlation:
A negative correlation tells
us that as the value of one variable increases,
increases, the value of the other
decreases.
 A perfect negative correlation is -1,0.
 The closer the correlation is to -1,0,
1,0, the stronger the relationship.
 Advantages:

1. Correlational research allows researchers to collect much more data


than experiments.
2. Correlational research usually takes place outside of the lab, the results
tend to be more applicable to everyday life.

 Disadvantages:

1. Correlational research only uncovers a relationship; it cannot provide


a conclusive reason for why there’s a relationship.
2. A correlation finding doesn’t reveal which variable influences the
other.
3. Experimental Research

 Experiment:
The investigation of the relationship
between two (or more) variables by deliberately producing a change in
one variable in a situation and observing the effects of that change on
other aspects of the situation.

 Explanation:
The change that the researcher
deliberately makes in an experiment is called the Experimental
manipulation .Experimental manipulations are used to detect
relationships between different variables
For example Latane and Darley in testing their
theory of the diffusion of responsibility in bystander, developed this
hypothesis
The higher the number of people who witness an
emergency situation is the less likely it is that any of them will help
the victim.
 Treatment:
The manipulation implemented by the
experimenter.
 Experimental Group:
Any group participating in an
experiment that receives a treatment.

 Control Group:
A group participating in an
experiment that receives no treatment.
 Independent Variable:
The variable that is
manipulated by an experimenter.

 Dependent Variable:
The variable that is measured
in an experiment. It is expected to change as a result of the
experimenter’s manipulation of the independent variable.

 Random Assignment to Condition:


A procedure
in which participants are assigned to different experimental groups or
“condition” on the basis of chance and chance alone.

 Replicated Research:
Research that is repeated
sometimes using other procedures settings and group of participants to
increase confidence in prior findings.

 Confounding Variables:
Variables, other than the
independent variable, which could inadvertently influence the
dependent variable.

 Advantages:

1. It provides researchers with a high level of control .


2. There is no limit to the subject matter or industry involved.
3. Experimental research provides conclusions that are specific.
4. The results of experimental research can be duplicated.
5. Natural settings can be replicated with faster speeds.

 Disadvantages:

1. Results are highly subjective due is possibility of human error.


2. Experimental research can create situations that are not realistic.
3. It is a time-consuming process.
4. There may be ethical or practical problems with variable control.
5. Experimental research does not provide an actual explanation.

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