1. Research Methods in Psychology
Conducting Research

2. Bell Ringer
What major difference(s) exist between the 2009 and the 2012 “Marshmallow study”?

3. Objectives
Name the proper procedures that follow while conducting research.
Analyze the significance of replicating a study.

4. Pre-Research Decisions
Psychology = systematic study
Examples of research
Turning on the television, going to the movies
Planning for research
Sample
Random sample: equal chance
Stratified Sample: equally represented
Assumptions supported by evidence, doubt claims

5. The Five Steps to Research
Form a research question
Experience, theory, common knowledge
“Opposites attract.” = Are people with opposite personality traits really attracted to each other?
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” = Is beauty a matter of individual preference, or are there common standards for beauty?

6. The Five Steps to Research
Form a Hypothesis (if, then statement)
Hypothesis = educated guess/proposed solution, accuracy tested
1. If I replace the battery in my car, then my car will get better gas mileage.
2. If I add fertilizer to my garden, then my plants will grow faster.
3. If I brush my teeth every day, then I will not develop cavities.
4. If a prisoner learns a work skill while in jail, then he is less likely to commit a crime when he is released. 

7. PRACTICE
Turn to a partner to come up with a testable hypothesis for the following examples:
How does the type of shoe I wear (high-heels, tennis shoes, flip flops) affect how high I can jump?
How does the number of pieces of gum I chew (1, 3, 5) affect how big of a bubble I can blow?
How does the amount of water you give to a plant each day (no water, 1 spoonful, 1 cup) affect how tall the plant will grow after 3 weeks?

8. The Five Steps to Research
Testing a Hypothesis
Ask our sample a question that is not biased
Analyzing the Results
Make sense of what the data means
Verify the findings
Drawing Conclusions
Necessary to keep an open mind, modify hypothesis

9. Steps to Research Replication Confirm findings by repeating the study
Why was my hypothesis not proven true?
Circumstances
Participants
New Questions
Contradict or support hypothesis
Who is it specifically influenced by?
As a result, process starts all over!

10. Question Hypothesis Experiment Results Conclusions Theory
Steps to Research
Question
Hypothesis
Experiment
Results
Additional hypothesis
Reject and revise
Conclusions
Replication
Theory

11. Assignment
For this assignment you will be looking at the current research done with the “marshmallow study” to determine whether the science used behind the research is reliable and valid by using the resources from the video.
What is the research question?
What is the hypothesis?
Who makes up the sample?
Describe how they tested the hypothesis.
Analyze the data.
What were the results of the research (theory)?
Do you agree with the results of their research? Is there any bias? Explain.

12. Examples
Unclear: Why are social networking sites harmful? Clear: How are online users experiencing or addressing privacy issues on such social networking sites as MySpace and Facebook?
Unfocused: What is the effect on the environment from global warming? Focused: How is glacial melting affecting penguins in Antarctica?
Too simple: How are doctors addressing diabetes in the U.S.? Appropriately Complex:  What are common traits of those suffering from diabetes in America, and how can these commonalities be used to aid the medical community in prevention of the disease?

13. Methods of Research

14. Bell Ringer
Everyone needs to choose one of the research question you wrote on your sheet to write on the board.
Once everyone has written a research question on the board, you will need to choose two of the questions on the board (NOT YOURS) and write a hypothesis for it.

15. Describe the methods of research commonly used by psychologists.
Objective
Describe the methods of research commonly used by psychologists.

16. Methods of Research Naturalistic Observation
Looking at behavior, people are unaware of being observed
Cardinal Rule = avoid disturbing the subject
Ex: Jane Goodall
Advantage = witness behavior, not artificial
Disadvantage = no control over setting/events

17. Methods of Research Case Study Intensive study of a person or group
Do not prove anything, generate new hypotheses
Ex: Sybil Dorsett (Shirley Mason)
Advantage: provides insight to specific cases
Disadvantage: distort past experiences, encourage a certain answer

18. Methods of Research Surveys Most practical way to gather information
Information obtained by fixed questions
Advantage: gather information from a large group
Disadvantage: people may not be entirely honest, does not represent the entire population

19. Methods of Research Longitudinal Studies
Observed at intervals over an extended period of time.
Advantage: see how people change over time
Disadvantage: time consuming, expensive, participants are unavailable

20. Methods of Research Cross-Sectional Studies
Compare differences/similarities among people
Advantage: Less time-consuming than longitudinal method
Disadvantage: differences cannot be attributed to age or development

21. Methods of Research Correlations
Best to interpret and analyze observations
Measure how close one thing is related to another
Stronger correlation, closer they are related
Positive correlation: as one goes up, so does the other (+,+)
Negative correlation: as one goes up, the other goes down (+,-)
Only reveals relationship between two things