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Study notes (Research Methods in Psychology)
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Steps in Psychological Research1. Find a Research Idea: Identify a general topic to explore and review the background literature to find a
specific research idea or question.
2. Form a Hypothesis: Form a tentative answer to the research question.
3. Variables
• Identify the specific procedures that will be used to define and measure all variables
• Plan to evaluate the validity and reliability of the measurement procedure
4. Participants
• Decide how many participants are needed and what characteristics they should have
• How to select them? (sampling)
• Plan for their ethical treatment
5. Select a Research Strategy: Consider internal and external validity and decide between an
experimental and a descriptive, correlational, non-experimental, or quasi-experimental strategy.
6. Select a Research Design: Decide among between-subjects, within-subject, factorial, or single-case
designs.
7. Conduct the Study: Collect the data.
8. Evaluate the Data: Use appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics to summarise and interpret
the results.
9. Report the Results
• Use the established guidelines for format and style to prepare an accurate and honest report
• Protect the anonymity and confidentiality of the participants
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,10. Refine or Reformulate Your Research Idea: Use the results to modify, refine, or expand your
original research idea, or to generate new ideas.
Hypothesis (Step 2)
What is it?
An empirically testable statement that describes or explains a relationship between variables.
,Example –> The use of visual images is related to better memory performance.
What are the characteristics of a good hypothesis?
Logical
• Usually founded in established theories or developed from the results of previous research
• Should be the logical conclusion of a logical argument
Premise 1: Academic success is highly valued in society
Premise 2: Being valued by others contributes to high self-esteem
Hypothesis –> For some students, higher levels of academic success will be related to higher levels of
selfesteem.
Testable
• Must be possible to observe and measure all of the variables involved
• Must involve real situations, real events, and real individuals
• We can debate what would have happened if Gandhi was not assassinated; but it does NOT lead
to a testable hypothesis
Refutable
• Must be possible to obtain research results that are contrary to the hypothesis
• Refutable hypothesis (falsifiable hypothesis) –> a critical component of the research process
• People claiming magical powers say that only true believers can see them
Positive
• Must make a positive statement about the existence of something (there is a relationship
between intelligence and creativity)
• Prediction that denies existence is untestable (there is no relationship between age and memory)
• Basic nature of science is to assume that something does NOT exist until there is enough evidence
to demonstrate that it actually does exist
Defining and Measuring Variables (Step 3)
Theory
• Theory –> a set of statements about the mechanisms underlying a particular behaviour
• Helps organise different observations of the behaviour and its relationship with other variables
• Good theory generates predictions about the behaviour
Construct
• Hypothetical attributes that help explain and predict behaviour in a theory
• A person is not studying for the upcoming exam, because he/she has low “motivation”
• Examples –> motivation; self-esteem; intelligence
• Although intangible, play an important role in behavioural theories
External Stimulus (reward) –> Construct (motivation) –> External Behaviour (performance)
, Upcoming exam –> Anxiety –> nervousness
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