Research Methods

Quantitative and qualitative research methods

The nature and usage of the following research methods and their advantages and weaknesses and how they relate to the scientific nature of Psychology.

The nature and usage of ethical guidelines in Psychology.
a. Experiments (including laboratory, field and natural experiments).
b. Investigations using correlational analysis.
c. Naturalistic observations.
d. Questionnaires.
e. Interviews.

Research design and implementation.

a. Aims and hypotheses (including the generation of appropriate aims; the formulation of different types of the experimental/alternative hypothesis(directional/nondirectional)).
b. Experimental design: independent groups, repeated measures and
matched participants. The design of naturalistic observations, questionnaires and interviews.
c. Factors associated with research design, including the operationalisation of the IV/DV; conducting pilot studies; control of extraneous variables; ways of assessing and improving reliability and internal and external validity. Ethical issues associated with research design and ways of dealing with them.
d. The selection of participants including random, opportunity and volunteer sampling.
e. The relationship between researchers and participants (including demand characteristics and investigator effects).

Data analysis.

a. The nature of qualitative data including strengths and weaknesses.
b. Measures of central tendency and dispersion (including the appropriate use and interpretation of medians, means, modes, ranges and standard deviations).
c. The nature of positive and negative correlations and the interpretation of correlation coefficients.
d. Graphs and charts, including the appropriate use and interpretation of histograms, bar charts and scattergraphs.

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