Download Types of Research Studies

Types of Research Studies
Observation
Observation is the simplest
scientific technique
Participant and researcher bias
can occur
Naturalistic observation
minimizes bias in the study
Jane Goodall interacting with primate.
She studied gorillas using
observation
Case Study
Case Study – A research technique
in which one person is studied in
depth in the hope of revealing
universal principles
This method can be prone to bias
Some times case studies are the
only ethical way to study an idea
One problem is that no two cases
are alike
Genie was a child who was neglected
until about the age twelve. She is termed
now as a feral child
Correlation
Correlation Study –
Research project designed
to discover the degree to
which two variables are
related to each other
Positively Correlated – when
two variable both increase
or decrease together
Negatively Correlated –
when one variable increases
while one variable
decreases
Survey
Survey Method – a research
technique designed to discover
the self-reported attitudes or
behaviors of a sample of
people through the use of
questionnaires or interviews
These are very efficient
because you can collect a great
deal of information from a large
group of people
People need to be extremely
careful to eliminate bias from
their questions
Problems are social desirability
- participant bias
Survey Continued
How do you decide who to give a survey to?
You give a survey to a random sample of the
population
Population – All the cases in a
group from which a sample can be
chosen for a study
Random Sample – A sample that
fairly represents a population
because each member has an
equal chance of inclusion
Longitudinal and Cross Sectional
Experiments
Experiment – a research method
where the researcher manipulates
one or more factors (independent
variables) to observe the effect on
another variable (dependent
variable) while controlling for
confounding variables
Experiments are the only method
that allows us to form conclusions
about cause and effect relationships
Hypothesis and Operational Definitions
Hypothesis – a
testable prediction
of an experiments
outcome
Operational
Definition – A
specification of
the exact
definition used to
make a variable
specific and
measureable for
research
purposes
Variables
Independent Variable (IV) –
the variable that a researcher
actively manipulates, and if
the hypothesis is correct, will
cause a change in the
dependent variable
The variable that should
cause something to happen
Dependent Variable (DV) –
the research variable that is
influenced by the independent
variable, and the impact can
be measured
The variable that should show
the effect of the independent
variable
Variables Cont’d
Confounding Variable – a variable other than the
independent variable that can influence the dependent
variable
To accurately draw conclusions, researchers must control
confounding variables
Groups
Control Group – The
participants in an
experiment who are not
exposed to the
independent variable. This
group is used as a
comparison to the
experimental group.
Experimental Group – The
participants in an
experiment that are
exposed to the treatment,
the independent variable.
Placebo
Placebo – A non-active substance or condition that may
be administered instead of a drug or active agent to see if
the drug has an effect beyond the expectations produced
by taking it.
Random Assignment
Random Assignment
– Assigning
participants to
experimental and
control groups by
chance
Through this, you
reduce the risk of
researcher bias as
well as minimizing the
preexisting differences
among those
assigned to different
groups.
Double Blind Procedure
Double Blind Procedure – An experimental procedure in
which both the research participants and the research staff
are ignorant to the expected outcome of an experiment.
This procedure is used to control for confounding variables.
Replication
Replication –
Repeating a research
study to see whether
the results can be
reliably reproduced.
If a study is unable to
be replicated, the
results are likely to be
a fluke occurrence.
Dolly, the first cloned sheep was
cloned in July 1996. Died in 2003