research method
Handout 1–3
Methods of Research
Research, systematic inquiry aimed at the discovery of new knowledge, is a central ingredient of the scientific method in psychology. It provides the key to understanding the degree to which hypotheses (and the theories behind them) are accurate. Just as we can apply different theories and hypotheses to explain the same phenomena, we can use a number of alternative methods to conduct research.
In this exercise, you will learn more about several methods of research that psychologists use to gain new knowledge about human behavior and ethical concerns psychologists face when conducting research.
1. You are conducting research on sex differences in e-mails. Your hypothesis is that men use more declarative statements and women use more questions.
Answer each of the following questions.
• What might be the advantages of using the archival method?
-sorting and organizing past documents to test a hypothesis
- get the basic facts about the topic of interest.
• What might be the disadvantages of using the archival method?
-may not be in a form that allows the researcher to test a hypothesis fully
-information could be incomplete
-information could have been collected haphazardly
-information may not exist
2. Now imagine that you are conducting research on the length of time it takes customers to select items in a grocery store. Assume that your hypothesis is that people will spend more time deciding on more expensive items than on cheaper items.
• What might be the advantages of using naturalistic observation?
-to record what occur
-to observe occurring behavior
-going about daily lives
• What might be the disadvantages of using naturalistic observation?
-to record what occur
-to observe occurring behavior
-going about daily lives
3. You have decided to conduct a survey on whether a given political candidate will be popular with Latino voters.
• What is an advantage of the survey method?
-equal
Methods of Research
Research, systematic inquiry aimed at the discovery of new knowledge, is a central ingredient of the scientific method in psychology. It provides the key to understanding the degree to which hypotheses (and the theories behind them) are accurate. Just as we can apply different theories and hypotheses to explain the same phenomena, we can use a number of alternative methods to conduct research.
In this exercise, you will learn more about several methods of research that psychologists use to gain new knowledge about human behavior and ethical concerns psychologists face when conducting research.
1. You are conducting research on sex differences in e-mails. Your hypothesis is that men use more declarative statements and women use more questions.
Answer each of the following questions.
• What might be the advantages of using the archival method?
-sorting and organizing past documents to test a hypothesis
- get the basic facts about the topic of interest.
• What might be the disadvantages of using the archival method?
-may not be in a form that allows the researcher to test a hypothesis fully
-information could be incomplete
-information could have been collected haphazardly
-information may not exist
2. Now imagine that you are conducting research on the length of time it takes customers to select items in a grocery store. Assume that your hypothesis is that people will spend more time deciding on more expensive items than on cheaper items.
• What might be the advantages of using naturalistic observation?
-to record what occur
-to observe occurring behavior
-going about daily lives
• What might be the disadvantages of using naturalistic observation?
-to record what occur
-to observe occurring behavior
-going about daily lives
3. You have decided to conduct a survey on whether a given political candidate will be popular with Latino voters.
• What is an advantage of the survey method?
-equal