Download Survey

Chapter 6
Field Research (outside of lab)
 Naturalistic observation: in natural setting
Low
Case study: single group or person
Surveys: asking direct questions
constraint
Archival research: preexisting records
Program evaluation: conducting evaluations of
applied procedures
 Field experiments: causal inferences
High
Field Research
+
-
Generalizability: extent to which results from a
study based on a sample apply to the population
as a whole - “real world” (External Validity)
Nonrepresentative sample: not accurately reflecting
the characteristics of the population from which
the sample was drawn
observations
naturalistic
Unobtrusive: no contact
with subject
Archival data
case study
Participant observer:
Contact with the subject
Archival Research
-
Historical accounts
census data
court records
Police crime reports
medical records
Have to have research question
Purely descriptive
Field Research: More Examples
 Naturalistic observation
Theory of Evolution
Natural Selection
Charles Darwin
British Naturalist
1809 -1882
I have called this principle, by which
each slight variation, if useful, is preserved,
by the term Natural Selection.
—Charles Darwin from "The Origin of Species"
Archival research: preexisting records
Ex: Schizophrenia & Meds & sleep
Case study: single group or person
Freud & Anna O.
If not unobtrusive Measurement Reactivity
Hawthorne Effect
(Mayo, 1927-1932: Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939)
A bias in subject’s behavior – usually an improvement
in performance - that results from special treatment and
interest shown by the experimenter
Hawthorne Electric – AT&T
Measure productivity
-
Illumination of room
Hours worked
# of rest periods
Observational Research
Study the subject in their natural environment – Nonhuman
Ethogram
• inventory of the behaviors of a species
• behaviors thoroughly described and organized into categories
• enables animal behaviorists to accurately measure behavior
•"behavior scan" method: "scan" at regular, brief intervals
• results: frequency of behavior (graph) or time budgets
Other Types of Field Research
Very important to Psych
Program evaluation: conducting evaluations of applied procedures
Surveys: asking direct questions
 Field experiments: causal inferences
Reasons for doing Field Research – Field Experiments
• Basic vs Applied: test external validity of experiment done in lab
• to determine the effects of events in the field
• to improve GENERALIZATION across setting
participants in study to larger population
results of the study over time
setting to setting
Survey Research – in the field
Survey: one or several questions that ask people
about their attitudes, beliefs, health, work, income
life satisfaction, political views etc….any issue can
be surveyed
Mostly used in the social sciences (social psych)
….sounds easy..just whip up some questions..
Survey Research – in the field
-Identify content area
-Construct your survey instrument
-Define population
-Draw representative sample
-Administer the survey
Administration of survey
mail
Interview
questionnaire
In person or telly
Group or single
Survey Research – in the field
2 parts to survey:
-Demographics (factual items)
-Content Questions
Construction of questions
1. Open ended
2. Multiple choice
3. Likert scale
(continuum)
Likert Scale
Likert Scale for Children
Do you think time-out is a good thing?
Survey Research – in the field
Sampling procedures:
-Non probability
-probability
1.
Convenience Sampling: Getting the
first subjects available Ex. Exiting
polls
2. Quota: Convenience sample to
represents subgroups proportionate
to the real population
3. Snowball: locate each subject from
previous contact with previous
subject
1. Simple: randomly select subjects from list of population
2. Systematic: select every nth name form the list of population
3. Stratified: randomly select from subgroup (strata),
proportionate to each group’s representation in the population
Survey Research – in the field
Research Designs:
Cross-sectional design (one shot deal): compares
responses of people of different ages at one time –
survey is only administered one time to each participant
– comparisons are made across age groups to investigate
age related changes in behavior/attitudes etc.
Longitudinal design (long-term): participants are studied
over time on the same DV – follow up tests – within
subjects design - How does the subject change over time
Surveys
Status: Used to describe a current
characteristic of a population
How long will you live????
Take Life Expectancy Survey