Research Method in Psychology

FATIMA JINNAH WOMEN UNIVERSITY
Intro to psychology
Assignment no 1
Submitted by:
Malaika Rasheed
Department pf BBA (Group B)
Submitted to:
Ms Amna Batool
Research Method in
Psychology:
Research methods in psychology are systematic procedures used to observe, describe, predict,
and explain behaviour and mental processes. They include experiments, surveys, case studies,
and naturalistic observations, ensuring data collection is objective and reliable to understand and
explain psychological phenomena.
Experimental method:
The experimental method involves the manipulation of variables to establish cause-and-effect
relationships. The key features are controlled methods and the random allocation of participants
into controlled and experimental groups. An experiment is an investigation in which
a hypothesis is scientifically tested. An independent variable (the cause) is manipulated in an
experiment, and the dependent variable (the effect) is measured; any extraneous variables are
controlled. An advantage is that experiments should be objective. The researcher’s views and
opinions should not affect a study’s results. This is good as it makes the data more valid and less
biased.
Types:
Lab Experiment
Field Experiment
Natural Experiment
Demand Characteristics:
The clues in an experiment lead the participants to think they know what the researcher is
looking for (e.g., the experimenter’s body language).
Reference:
( https://www.simplypsychology.org/experimental-method.html )
Observation Method:
The observation method in psychology involves directly and systematically witnessing and
recording measurable behaviors, actions, and responses in natural or contrived settings without
attempting to intervene or manipulate what is being observed.
Used to describe phenomena, generate hypotheses, or validate self-reports, psychological

observation can be either controlled or naturalistic with varying degrees of structure imposed by
the researcher.
Types:
Controlled Observations
Naturalistic Observations
Participant Observations
Reference:
( https://www.simplypsychology.org/observation.html )
Case Study Method:

A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. In a case study, nearly every
aspect of the subject's life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes of behavior. Case
studies can be used in many different fields, including psychology, medicine, education,
anthropology, political science, and social work. The point of a case study is to learn as much as
possible about an individual or group so that the information can be generalized to many others.
Unfortunately, case studies tend to be highly subjective, and it is sometimes difficult to
generalize results to a larger population.
Types:
Collective case studies
Descriptive case studies
Explanatory case studies
Exploratory case studies
Instrumental case studies
Intrinsic case studies
Reference:
( https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-write-a-psychology-case-study-2795722 )
Interview Method:
Interviews involve a conversation with a purpose, but have some distinct features compared to
ordinary conversation, such as being scheduled in advance, having an asymmetry in outcome
goals between interviewer and interviewee, and often following a question-answer format.
The interview method in psychology is a data collection technique where a researcher engages in
direct conversation with individuals to gather information about their thoughts, experiences, and
behaviors. It involves asking structured or open-ended questions to elicit responses that can
provide insights into various psychological phenomena. Interviews can be used in clinical
assessments, research studies, and therapeutic settings, allowing for in-depth exploration of
topics and the subjective experiences of individuals. This method helps researchers understand
subjective perspectives, obtain qualitative data, and gain a deeper understanding of human
behavior and psychological processes.
How Do Interviews Work?

Researchers can ask different types of questions, generating different types of data. For example,
closed questions provide people with a fixed set of responses, whereas open questions allow
people to express what they think in their own words.
Reference:
( https://www.simplypsychology.org/interviews.html )
Questionnaire Method:
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions for the purpose of
gathering information from respondents. Questionnaires can be thought of as a kind of written
interview. They can be carried out face to face, by telephone, computer, or post. A questionnaire
in research is a structured set of questions designed to gather information from respondents. It’s
used to collect quantitative or qualitative data on subjects’ opinions, behaviors, or characteristics.
Data can be collected relatively quickly because the researcher would not need to be present
when completing the questionnaires. This is useful for large populations when interviews would
be impractical. However, a problem with questionnaires is that respondents may lie due to social
desirability. Most people want to present a positive image of themselves, and may lie or bend the
truth to look good, e.g., pupils exaggerate revision duration.
Reference:
( https://www.simplypsychology.org/questionnaires.html )
Survey Method:
A survey is a data collection tool used to gather information about individuals. Surveys are
commonly used in psychology research to collect self-report data from study participants. A
survey may focus on factual information about individuals, or it might aim to obtain the opinions
of the survey takers. Psychology surveys involve asking participants a series of questions to learn
more about a phenomenon, such as how they think, feel, or behave. Such tools can be helpful for
learning about behaviors, conditions, traits, or other topics that interest researchers.
Reasons to Use Surveys in Psychology:

Surveys are one of the most commonly used research tools3 because they can be utilized to
collect data and describe naturally occurring phenomena that exist in the real world.
Surveys in psychology are vital because they allow researchers to:
Understand the experiences, opinions, and behaviors of the participants
Evaluate respondent attitudes and beliefs
Look at the risk factors in a sample
Assess individual differences
Evaluate the success of interventions or preventative programs
Reference:
( https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-survey-2795787 )

Research Method in Psychology

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Research Method in Psychology

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Research Method in Psychology

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FATIMA JINNAH WOMEN UNIVERSITY

Used to describe phenomena, generate hypotheses, or validate self-reports, psychological

Case Study Method:

How Do Interviews Work?

Reasons to Use Surveys in Psychology:

You might also like