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Chapter 2: Research Strategies

• Purposes of research

• Quantitative & Qualitative

• Strategies

• Time: short v. long-term

• Research Settings

• Tradeoffs

• Summary

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Chap 2: Research Strategies

Purposes

• Basic v. Applied– Testing theory v. Finding solutions– Give some examples– Lab v. natural settings– Experiments v. correlational– Theory v. trial & error

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Basic v. Applied

• Basic: knowledge base– Kitty in the City: 1964 (Lassiter & Dudley, ’91)

– What happened / how did it stimulate interest in theory?– To explain what?

• Identify potential applied problems– Attribution theory: self v. other causes

• Videotaped confessions? Do you believe what you see?• Does focus on person or situation matter?

– (Lassiter & Irvine, ’86)

• How could this theory apply to other problems in – Counseling, I/O psych?

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Purposes of Research

• Evaluation Research– What are some programs that need it?

• Action Research (fig 2-1, p. 33)

– Define problem– Research

• Collect data on possible causes• Theories to explain them• Find solutions • Implement • Evaluate implementation

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Chap 2: Quant v. Qual

• Which are typical methods for each?– Case studies– Interviews– Surveys– Focus groups– Experiments– Correlational studies

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Quant v. Qual

• Which is characterized by:– Ecological v. internal validity?– Objectivity v. subjectivity– Variables studied;

• Theory or personal experience

– Piaget or Bowlby?– Experiential v. cause & effect?– Which do you prefer? Why?

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Research Strategies

Experimental, Correlational, Case study

• Experimental – Cause and effect

• Correlational– Relationships, descriptive

• Case Study– Observation,

• Usually long term, in depth• Nomothetic v. idiographic?

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Corr v. ExperimentalB = f (P,E) K. Lewin

• Individual differences

• Personality research– Personal Traits

(stable)– What are some?

• Situational factors

• Social psychology– Personal States

(variable)– What are some?

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Experimental v. Correlationaladvantages & disadvantages

• Control over variables

• Internal validity v. external

• Getting participants

• Manipulation, measuring

• Cause & effect v. correlation

• Theory

• Ethical issues

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Exp. V Corr

• Experimental– IV (Cause)– Manipulate– DV (effect)– Measure– Qual or quant Vars– More theoretical

• WHY?

• Correlational– Predictors– Measure– Outcomes (criteria)– Measure– Qual or quant vars– Less theoretical

• WHY?

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B = f (P*E)

• Interaction of P*E– Main effects and interaction

• Can you use both experimental/corr?– Yes/no?

• Example:– Counseling: beh disorder * therapy type– I/O: Need for approval (ind diff) * Ldr style

• (leader style:laissez faire, high oversight)

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Stats for each

• Experimental– ANOVA– ANCOVA

• Correlational– Regression– Multiple regression– Factor analysis– SEM

• structural equations modeling

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Cf of ANOVA & Regression

• ANOVA = special case of regression

• General Linear Model (GLM)

• Experimental psychologists – ANOVA

• Individual psychologists– Regression

• .e.g I/O (personnel v. org psych)

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Problem: Exp or Corr? TV violence and Aggression

• Situational v. individual diff

• Manipulate v. measure

• Reciprocal relationship?

• Other variables? (lurking, confounding)

• What are other similar types of problems?– Counseling– I/O

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Time Perspectives:Short v. Long

• Short: – Cross/sectional

• Long term– E.g. Developmental research– Longitudinal– Cohort-sequential– Time-lagged comparisons

• Both: e.g. – Prior use reports of CDS for law enforcement

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Prospective Research

• IV at time 1 and DV at time 2 (table 2-3)– To establish time precedence of IV

• What’s that??

– Type A stress <-> Coronary disease• Which comes first?

– Problems• Longitudinal

– Attrition, history and testing effects

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Outcome Evaluation(Program Evaluation p. 51)

• Examples– Treatment programs– Social programs– Educational programs– Organizational interventions

• Problems: – Attrition, history and testing effects

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Research Strategies:Lab v. Field (p. 52)

• Strategies and settings

• Case study = single-case in laboratory

• Experiments in– Laboratory or – Field (field experiments)

• Give an example of a psych experiment could investigate how drivers reactions to red-light cameras (IV and DVs)

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Research Settings

• Settings and Participants

• Target population and samples

• External validity v. theory testing – Generalize theory or findings?

• Give an example: Counseling/ I/O psych

• Convenience sample– What is it? Why would you use one?

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Tradeoffs

• Samples – Hetero v. homogeneous

• Control– Lab v. natural setting

• Experiment v. Correlation– Manipulation v. Measure

• Validity– Internal validity v. external validity

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Research Strategies:Summary

• Basic v. Applied– Which do you prefer?

• Quantitative v. Qualitative– Which is better?

• Experiment v. Correlational– Tradeoffs

• Time perspectives– Short v. Long

• Populations and samples– census or samples / homo or hetero

• Settings – lab v. field