Types of Research Notes

Types of Research

• Descriptive
• Correlation
• Experimental

Descriptive Research

• Any research that observes and records
• Does not talk about relationships, only describes
• Types of Descriptive Research:
• Case Study
• Survey
• Naturalistic Observation

Case Study

• Detailed pictures of subjects
• Descriptive Research

Survey Method

• Most common in every field
• Measures correlation
• Cheap & Fast
• Usually use interview, mail, phone, internet

Random Sampling

• Identify population you want to study
• Sample must be representative of the population you want to study
• One reason we sample is the False Consensus Effect- Tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs & behavior
• Cons of Survey Method:
• Low Response Rate
• People lie or misinterpret themselves
• Wording Effect

Naturalistic Observation

• Watching subjects in their natural environment
• Do not manipulate the environment
• Hawthorne Effect- The fact that you know you are in an experiment can cause your behavior to change

Correlation Method

• Expresses a relationship between two variables
• Does not show causation
• Correlation Coefficient- Number that measures the strength of a relationship
• Relationship gets weaker the closer you get to zero
• Types of Correlation:
• Positive Correlation- variables go in same direction
• Negative Correlation- variables go in opposite directions

Experimental Research

• Explores cause and effect relationships

Experimental Method

• Experimental vs. Control Group
• Experimental Group- Exposes participants to treatment (are unaware of what is going on)
• Control Group- Comparison for evaluating effect (tell them what to do)
• Blind Study- subjects are unaware if assigned to control group or experimental group
• Double-Blind Study- neither subjects nor experimenters know which group is control and which group is experimental

Descriptive Statistics vs. Inferential Statistics

• Descriptive Statistics- describe results of research
• Inferential Statistics- make inference or draw conclusion beyond raw data

Measures of Deviation

• Standard Deviation- computed measure of how much scores vary around the mean
• High Standard Deviation (Scores spread out)
• Low Standard Deviation (Scores clustered)