Review of Literature [USING PSYCH LIT.] ○ Statement of the Problem. ○
Research Questions or Hypotheses. ○ Methodology [the subject matter for today]
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Research Methods Notes for Social Psychology By H. Fairchild Pitzer College – September 4, 2013
General Principles Science is "...a system for the accumulation of knowledge." Science is "systematic" and involves "controlled observation." Science tests hypotheses
Science builds theories
Hypothesis: An educated guess about relationships among variables Theory: A systematic statement regarding the relationships among variables
Science is cumulative: it builds on an existing body of literature [references]
The Research Report/Article
Abstract Introduction
Statement of Purpose Review of Literature [USING PSYCH LIT.] Statement of the Problem Research Questions or Hypotheses
Methodology [the subject matter for today]
The Research Article: II
Results (statistics, observations, etc.) Discussion
interpretations implications limitations (strengths and weaknesses) research directions policy implications clinical implications (if relevant)
References
Methods
Case Studies Systematic Observation Archival Studies Surveys Experiments
The Case Study
Case Study: An intensive investigation of a single case, for example, a serial killer or self-mutilator. See Los Angeles Times, January 28, 2003, for a non-scientific presentation of two youths who cut off their mother's head and hands, in imitation of a television program. These studies tend to focus on the unusual or the pathological, and are organized in sections that cover:
Presenting Problem (what brought the patient in for treatment) Developmental Background (life history, family history, siblings, etc.) Diagnosis Treatment Outcome Discussion
Limitations
CLASS DISCUSSION: Should the two boys who killed and dismembered their mother be punished as adults? Or shown compassion and given therapy?
Systematic Observation Content Analysis
Systematic Observation – Coding behavior in the real world
Comparative psychology (animal studies) Classroom dynamics (educational psychology) Childhood aggression (developmental psych)
Content Analysis/Archival Studies
Media violence, for example School achievement and school resources
Survey Research
Sample Population Random Selection Representativeness Variables & Relationships Among Variables Correlation
Survey Research - examples
Example: Eron (1963): 3rd grades and television violence
Students who watched a lot of television violence, were rated by their teachers as being more aggressive and prone to violence. BUT: One cannot infer causation from these correlational data. If X and Y are related, that is, if TV Hours are related to aggressive behavior, it does NOT mean that TV Hours CAUSED the aggressive behavior. It is equally possible, that aggressive people like to watch aggressive TV. OR, a third variable (such as Social economic status) accounts for the apparent relationship between X and Y.
Example: Fairchild, et al. 2001, 2002: Attitudinal "Barometers" in response to terrorism Problems
sampling & representativeness reactivity social desirability
Experiments – Key Terms & Ideas
IV: Independent Variable DV: Dependent variable IV:DV :: cause:effect Random assignment Control group; Experimental group(s) Example: Liebert & Baron (1973): television violence and the "hurt" button. Problems: contrived (external validity); representativeness (student "subjects"), E bias (Rosenthal, 1966) Field Experiments: Leyens, et al. (1975): Belgium TV violence study; Fairchild (1984) Star Crusaders
Other Methods/Ethics
Simulations (Zimbardo, 1975: The Stanford Prison Experiment; Milgram, 1963: obedience to authority)
Ethical Considerations
informed consent harm to S's
