Psychological Research Methods

1. Survey Results

1.1. - Generalizing Results: In some cases in this research, researchers want to know about only one group within the population and has no reason to study other groups. -Volunteer Bias: People who volunteer to participate in the research.

2. Methods of Observation

2.1. -The Testing Method: Psychologists use psychological tests to learn about human behavior. For example, Intelligence tests (IQ), Aptitude tests, and personality tests. - The Case Study Method: A research that psychologists use to investigate an individual or a small group to learn about them. -Longitudinal and Cross Sectional Methods: Longitudinal method is a method used to select a group of participants and then observe them overtime. Cross Sectional Method is a method used to select individuals based different age groups. -The Naturalistic Observation Method: This method is observing people or animals natural habits. -The Laboratory Observation Method: A method that cannot be studied in a naturalistic setting, but instead a laboratory.

2.2. - Positive and Negative Correlation: Positive Correlation is between the need of achievement and salaries. Negative Correlation is between stress and health.

3. The Experimental Method

3.1. Experiments always contains variables which can always change. - Independent variable: A factor that researchers manipulate so that they can determine its effect. -Dependent Variable: The researchers want to find out whether level of aggression depends on temperature. -Experimental and Control Groups: Experimental group is when people receive a treatment. Although, a controlled group does not. Both can be used as well which is called a controlled experiment. - The Placebo Effect: A placebo is a substance or treatment that has not effect apart from a person's belief in it. -Single Blind Studies: A study that participants do not know whether they are receiving the treatment or not. -Double Blind Studies: A study in which both participants and experimenters are unaware of who has obtained the treatment.

4. The Steps

4.1. - Forming a Research Question - Forming a Hypothesis - Testing the Hypothesis - Analyzing the Results - Drawing Conclusions

4.2. Replication: Replication is a study that must be repeated and it must produce the same results as the original.

5. Survey Methods

5.1. A survey is gathering information by questioning people about a particular subject. -Selecting Samples: Individuals are selected by a random chance from a target population. -Target Population: A target population is a whole group you want to study or describe. -Stratified Sample: Subgroups in the population are represented correlated in the sample.

6. Ethical Issues

6.1. -Research with people: Ethical standards limit the type of research that psychologists may conduct. -Confidentiality: Psychologists treat the records of research participants and clients private. -Informed Consent: People agree or consent to participate in a research study only after they have been given a general overview of the research. -Deception: Some experiments cannot be run without deceiving people. For example, testing drug experiments and social experiments. - Research with Animals: Scientists may sometimes not harm an animal in their experiment, but sometimes it is necessary so it won't be carried out on people for ethical reasons. Ethics in Using Data: An area in which psychologists follow strict rules about ethics in how they produce and present their data.