RESEARCH METHODS

IN PSYCHOLOGY
Mr Ryan Van Der Poll
How to study this chapter

■ As you study this chapter for the exam, please take note of
the headings in the slides.
■ Use the slides to guide you on what is important for the
exam.
■ All content in the slides and the textbook sections indicated
in these slides are examinable.
Psychology as a Science
■ The Scientific Method
– The aim of the scientific method is to make
observations of phenomena of special interest in
order to collect data.

■ Applied to Psychology:
– make observations of human behavior.
– test hypotheses and develop theories about
behavior.

■ The cornerstone of the scientific method is the

commitment to putting ideas to an empirical test.
 Why is research
important to Psychology?
■ Psychology as a field is concerned with:
– Understanding human behaviour and social
phenomena
– Generating new knowledge about human
behaviour and social phenomena

■ Increased emphasis on evidence-based practice

■ Having a good grasp on how psychologists generate new

knowledge, and their research methods helps with:
– Understanding psychological theories
– Thinking logically and critically about psychological
theories or claims about behaviour
 Approaches to Research
■ Quantitative Approach:
– aims to test hypotheses, assess relationships
between variables and make predictions
– bigger sample sizes, and the data are based on
numbers that involve statistical analyses
– more objective
■ Qualitative Approach:
– allows a deeper understanding of the phenomena
being studied from the perspective of the
participants
– data is typically word-based or text-based and
includes smaller sample sizes
– more subjective
■ Mixed Methods:
– Combination of both Quantitative and Qualitative
The Research Cycle
 Step 1: Planning

■ Selecting a research topic (pg 28 Textbook)

– Personal interest
– Observations of everyday life
– Prior research
■ Reviewing existing literature (pg 28-29 Textbook)
– What has already been found on the topic
– Find gaps in existing knowledge
– What methodology has already been done
 Step 1: Planning
■ Formulate research aims and objectives
(pg 29 Textbook: under heading “formulating the research problem and
the research questions”)

– The Research Aim:

■ Overarching goal or focal point of the
study
■ ‘What’ do I want to do or find out?
– The Research Objectives:
■ Narrower and more specific
■ ‘How’ am I going to achieve my aims?
■ Can be phrased as questions.
 Step 1: Planning
■ SMART Objectives
➢ S – Specific: Must be focused and well
defined
➢ M – Measurable: Should be able to
measure progress
➢ A – Achievable: Can I carry it out? Is it
doable?
➢ R – Relevant: Will it help me achieve my
aim
➢ T – Timebound: Can I do it in the time
available to me?
Step 1: Planning
Step 2: Research Design
(pg 30-31 in Textbook under heading “Using variables in the design of
a quantitative research study”)

■ The research design is the plan that you set out in order to achieve
your research aims and objectives.
■ Quantitative designs:
– Experimental design
■ preferred design within scientific research.
■ involves experimentation, where one of the variables or
factors are manipulated while the other variables are held
constant.
■ goal of experimental research is to establish if a cause-
and-effect relationship exists between the variables.
– Correlational design
■ test the relationship between variables
■ typically used when it is not possible to manipulate the
independent variable.
■ Cannot infer causal relationships as there may be other
factors affecting the variables
Step 2: Research Design
(Not in textbook but examinable)

■ Qualitative designs:
– Observational designs
■ involve the direct observation of individuals in
their natural setting
■ researcher passively observes and collects
data without getting involved in any way
– Phenomenological designs
■ based on understanding that the world and
reality are not objective but are socially
constructed by people
■ interested in people’s everyday experiences
and provides an understanding of issues or
phenomena from the perspectives of
individuals
■ aims to provide rich lived experience
Step 3: Data Collection
(Pg 37-39 in Textbook under heading “Methods for gathering data”)

■ Quantitative Methods:
– Questionnaires
■ a data collection instrument in which
specific questions are asked to elicit
responses from participants
■ contain a very precise way in which
answers can be given
■ “Yes or No”; “Agree or Disagree”; “Always,
sometimes, never”
■ Likert-type scale. The scale contains items
which the participant should answer
■ Can be self-administered or can be done by
a research assistant
Step 3: Data Collection
(Pg 37-39 in Textbook under heading “Methods for gathering
data”)

■ Qualitative Methods:
– Interviews
■ one on one with the participant and can be
done in person, online or via telephone
■ Structured interviews follow a set list of
questions in a particular order.
■ Unstructured interviews. One opening question.
Participant shapes the interview.
■ Semi-structured interviews. Predetermined set
of questions but there is no fixed sequence or
format.
– Focus Group Interviews
■ Conducted with groups of 6 to 10 participants.
■ gather information when participants are
interacting with each other
■ provides a wider perspective on the topic under
discussion
Step 4: Data Analysis (Pg 40-42
in Textbook under heading “Analysis of Quantitative data”)

■ Quantitative data analysis

– Descriptive statistics: statistical procedures
that are concerned with the presentation
of the data
■ Measures of central tendency:
– The mean is the average score of the data
– The mode is the score that occurs most
frequently
– The median is the score that is in the
middle of the data when it is ordered from
lowest to highest
■ Measures of variability
– shows us how diverse or variable the data
is
– determined by calculating the range, the
variance and the standard deviation
QUANTITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS
 Step 4: Data Analysis (Pg
42-43 in Textbook under heading “Analysis of Qualitative data”)

■ Qualitative data analysis

– Thematic Analysis
■ The transcribed data is coded into units of
meaning
■ These codes can then be categorized into themes
■ The themes then give insight into the topic being
discussed.
– Discourse Analysis:
■ Places a lot of emphasis on the role of language.
■ Analyse the use and structure of language to
reveal representations of the world.
■ Draws attention to dominant meanings of the
language used to describe phenomena.
Thematic
Analysis
Step 5: Reporting Findings
(Pg 46-47 in Textbook under heading “Research Reports”)

■ Research Report:
o The Introduction and Literature review
▪ Outlines the context or background of your
study, the aims and objectives, previous
research, and the rationale for the study.
o The Methodology
▪ Outlines in detail how the study was
conducted.
o The Results
▪ Describes the main results of your study.
o The Discussion
▪ The discussion and interpretation of your
results.
o References
▪ All literature that has been cited in the report
 Step 6: Theory Building
(Pg 47 in Textbook under heading “Step 6: Theory Building”)

■ The findings from a research study will either refute or

confirm the theory that provided the framework for the
research conducted.

■ If confirmed, the theory is strengthened, and

psychologists may even be able to make predictions
about behaviour based on the theory.

■ If refuted, the theory needs to be refined or

reformulated. Researchers would provide suggestions
based on their findings.

■ Whether research findings refute or confirm a theory,

scientific knowledge is being advanced.
Ethics
(Pg 45-46 in Textbook in box 2.7 ETHICS IN
RESEARCH)

■ Psychological research must

always be done ethically.
o All research proposals
must pass ethical
evaluation
■ Ensure that all participants
are treated humanely, and
all their rights are protected
and upheld.
INFORMED CONSENT FORM
Indigenous and Decolonial
Research Methods
(Pg 48-50 in Textbook under above heading)

■ Researchers developed an indigenous research

paradigm
■ Engage in work from a historically and culturally
developed lens
■ Draw from indigenous knowledges, histories,
languages, world views and experiences
■ Emphasise the social situatedness of all research
■ A psychologist using indigenous research will value
indigenous identities, apply an indigenous
paradigmatic lens and exhibit methodological
flexibility
Indigenous and Decolonial
Research Methods
(Pg 48-50 in Textbook under above heading)

■ The valuing of indigenous identities

– Understand how colonization has shaped
identities.
– Understand the role colonization and apartheid
played in personal privilege, and in
perpetuating the oppression of others.
– Engage in empowerment practices rectifying
flawed or distorted knowledge systems and
accommodating alternative systems of
knowledge
■ The indigenous paradigmatic lens
– Employ approaches that prioritise the
knowledge and voices of indigenous people
and are consistent with indigenous values
Indigenous and Decolonial
Research Methods
(Pg 48-50 in Textbook under above heading)

■ Methodological flexibility
– Assuming a range of research roles and applying
various ‘alternative’ techniques for collecting, examining
and communicating data.
– Researchers can use signs, images, ceremonies, music,
and story-telling that is well known to a community to
make sense of the data.
– Creating research methods and tools that represent
constructs as understood by a community of people.
■ The South African Depression Scale was developed using
local idioms of distress.
■ The South African Personality Inventory was informed by local
research.
■ Local understandings are used to develop culturally informed
instruments and constructs.