Research Methods in Psychology

How do we study Psychology?

Goals of Psychological Research

Define and Describe: What happened?

Explain: Why did that happen?

Predict: Under what conditions is

that likely to happen again?

Control: How can I we apply our

principle to make this
happen again? To make sure
it never happens again?
IV’s and DV’s
Independent variable (IV) :

Variable the experimenter manipulates (i.e.

changes) – assumed to have a direct effect on the
dependent variable.

Dependent variable (DV) :

Variable the experimenter measures, after
making changes to the IV that are assumed to
affect the DV.
IV’s and DV’s

The next 10 slides have a quick description of a study.

First 5: Try to identify the independent variables.

Second 5: Try to identify the dependent variables.

What is the independent variable?
A researcher wants to determine if the color of an office
has any effect on worker productivity. In an experiment,
one group performs a task in a yellow room while another
performs the same task in a blue room.

In this example, the colour of the office is the

independent variable.
What is the independent variable?
Researchers want to learn whether listening to fast-paced
music helps students perform better at memorization of
facts. In an experiment, one group of students listens to
fast-paced music while another group listens to slow-paced
music.

In this example, the type of music the students

listen to is the independent variable.
What is the independent variable?
A business wants to determine if giving employees more
control over how to do their work leads to increased job
satisfaction. In an experiment, one group of workers is
given a great deal of input in how they perform their work,
while the other group is not.

In this example the amount of input the workers

have over their work is the independent variable
in this example.
What is the independent variable?
Educators are interested in whether participating in after-
school mathematics tutoring can increase scores on
standardized maths exams. In an experiment, one group of
students attends an after-school tutoring session twice a
week while another group of students does not receive
this additional assistance.

In this case, participation in an after-school maths

tutoring is the independent variable.
What is the independent variable?
Researchers want to determine if a new type of treatment
will lead to a reduction in anxiety for patients suffering
from social phobia. In an experiment, some volunteers
receive the new treatment, another group receives a
different treatment, and a third group receives no
treatment.

In this case, the independent variable in this

example is the type of therapy.
What is the dependent variable?
Researchers want to discover if listening to classical music
helps students earn better grades on a mathematics exam.

In this example, the scores on the mathematics

exams are the dependent variable.
What is the dependent variable?
Researchers are interested in seeing how long it takes
people to respond to different sounds.

In this example, the length of time it takes

participants to respond to a sound is the
dependent variable.
What is the dependent variable?
Researchers want to know whether first-born children
learn to speak at a younger age than second-born children.

In this example, the dependent variable is the age

at which the child learns to speak.
What is the dependent variable?
Researchers are interested in looking at how alcohol use
influences reaction times while driving.

The amount of alcohol a participant injects is the

independent variable, while their performance on
a driving test is the dependent variable.
What is the dependent variable?
Researchers are interested in looking at how alcohol use
influences reaction times while driving.

The amount of alcohol a participant injects is the

independent variable, while their performance on
a driving test is the dependent variable.
What is the dependent variable?

Look at the question sheet:

‘Can Science Answer This Question?’

Decide what would be the independent and dependent

variables

Also, do you think science can answer the question, or is it

just too difficult?
Experiments
Laboratory Experiments:

These take place in either a lab or in a controlled environment

setting, which is unnatural for the participants. They attempt
to control all variables except the IV.
By changing one variable (the IV) while measuring another
(the DV) while we control all others, as far as possible, then
the experimental method allows us to draw conclusions with
far more certainty than any non-experimental method.
If the IV is the only thing that is changed then a cause and
effect relationship can be found between the IV ad the DV.
Experiments
Field Experiments :

Sometimes it is possible to carry out experiments in a more

natural setting, i.e. in ‘the field ’. As with the laboratory
experiment, the independent variable is still deliberately
manipulated by the researcher.
However it is not possible to have such tight control over
variables in the field, but it does have the advantage of being
far less artificial than the laboratory.
Experiments
Natural (quasi) Experiments :
Natural experiments may take place in the lab or field. Like
other experiments they have an IV but in this type of
experiment the experimenter does not directly manipulate the
IV.
Some IVs are not open to manipulation as some conditions are
pre-decided by fixed characteristics. E.g. comparing men and
women’s driving skills, they cannot be randomly allocated to
be male or female. The IV is naturally occurring. Other
examples of pre-existing variables might be age, IQ, position in
the family and social background.
Experiments
Your turn:

Think of at least one strength and one weakness of a lab

experiment, a field experiment and a natural (quasi)
experiment.

Then we will compare answers from the next few slides.

Experiments
Laboratory Experiments: Strengths

Laboratory experiments have high levels of standardisation

and so can be replicated to test for reliability.

As Laboratory experiments have high levels of control,

researchers can be more confident it is the IV directly affecting
the DV.
Experiments
Laboratory Experiments: Weaknesses

As laboratory experiments take place in an artificial setting, it

is said that they can lack ecological validity. Many laboratory
experiments make participants take part in tasks that are
nothing like real life ones, so the tasks lack mundane realism.

Participants usually know they are taking part in an

experiment and they may respond to demand characteristics
as something about the set-up indicates the aim of the
experiment.
Experiments
Field Experiments : Strengths

As field experiments take place in a realistic setting, it is said

that they have good ecological validity.

As participants will not know they are taking part in a study,

there will be little or no demand characteristics so behaviour is
more likely to be natural and valid.
Experiments
Field Experiments : Weaknesses

Situational variables can be difficult to control, so sometimes it

is difficult to know whether it is the IV affecting the DV. It
could be an uncontrolled variable causing the DV to change.

As participants will not know they are taking part in a study,

there are issues with breaking ethical guidelines. These
include the issues of informed consent and deception.
Experiments
Natural (quasi) Experiments : Strengths

As the experiment is located in a natural setting exploiting a

naturally occurring IV, the study should be high in ecological
validity.

As participants are usually unaware that a study is taking

place, their behaviour is more likely to be natural and a valid
representation of each person’s behavioural repertoire.
Experiments
Natural (quasi) Experiments : Weaknesses
They may be more expensive and time consuming than lab
experiments.

There is no control over extraneous variables that might bias

the results. This makes it difficult for another researcher to
replicate the study in exactly the same way.
Experiments
Laboratory Experiments:
Validity These experiments have high internal validity because controls mean the
researcher can be confident it is the IV directly affecting the DV.
They have low external validity as it may be difficult to apply the findings to
a real life situation.

Reliability These have high levels of reliability because controls and standardised
procedures allow for full replication.
Ethics It is usually easy to gain informed consent. Deception can be dealt with
through a full debrief.
Participants know they are in a study so can withdraw at any time.

Internal validity refers to whether it is the IV directly affecting the DV

External validity refers to the extent to which the findings of the study can be applied to real life settings
and to other people outside the sample.
Experiments
Field Experiments :
Validity These experiments have lower internal validity as the researcher can control
some variables but not all of them.
There is stronger external validity than in laboratory experiments due to the
“field” setting of the study.

Reliability These have medium levels of reliability as some elements of the study are
controlled with some standardised procedures but full replication may be
difficult.
Ethics Researches can gain informed consent from participants, but it is not always
possible.
Participants may not know they are part of a study which can make
debriefing difficult and sometimes impossible.
(Also if participants do not know they are in a study their right to withdraw
is invalidated)
Experiments
Natural (quasi) Experiments :
Validity These experiments have low internal validity as there is no control over any
extraneous variables.
Natural experiments have high external validity as they take place in
participants’ natural environment.

Reliability These have low levels of reliability as there is hardly any controls or
standardisation and this makes replication very difficult.
Ethics There are several issues.
Informed consent can be very difficult to obtain, depending on the study.
People may not know they are part of a study which can make debriefing
difficult and sometimes impossible.
(Also if participants do not know they are in a study their right to withdraw
is invalidated)
The Marshmallow Test
Take a look at the following experiment. Can you identify what type of
experiment it is? What are the strengths and weaknesses?
 More resources for CIE A/S
Psychology (9990) can be found at:
www.mrgregoryonline.com
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Issues and debates Cognitive
Approaches Learning
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