Methodologies Jigsaw

By 12PSYP
Controlled
Experiment
Anna, Aarthy and Vinuja
 Overview
- Experimental relationship
- IV is manipulated
- Finding relationship between 1 or more IVs and 1 DV
- Can find causational relationship
- All other variables are controlled
- Requires rigorous control
- Usually consists of 1 experimental group per IV and 1 control group
- Random allocation increases validity
- 3 designs: Between (one condition), within (both conditions) and mixed
- Experimental seings: Laboratory or field
 Advantages & Disadvantages
- Allows researchers to determine a - Time consuming in minimising and
cause and eect relationship reducing the variables
between variables - Impossible to keep all extraneous
- Ability to control extraneous & variables constant
independent variables - Time consuming to ensure the
- Establish cause & eect characteristics of the control group
relationship are similar to the experimental group
- Able to minimise bias - Eg. similar number of
- More accurate understanding participants
the cause & eect relationship - The ability to generalise data can be
- Follow a step-by-step standardised impacted the more the experiment is
procedure controlled
- Results can be replicated - Seizes to resemble real worlds
therefore validated contexts
- Diiculties to apply findings to
real world
 Examples
Harlow’s Rhesus Monkey experiment Asch’s experiment on
on aachment and comfort conformity/social pressure from
- Cloth mother and wire mother majority group
- With milk bole and one without - One real participant and 7
- Testing which one the monkeys confederates
formed aachment to/ contact - Asked to match line lengths
comfort - Seven confederates deliberately
saying incorrect answers
- Test if real participant conforms
- Controlled condition - No
confederates, all real participants
Correlational Studies
Kennard, Tewan and Farjad
What are Correlational Studies?
- Used to investigate the relationship between two variables
- Done without any influence or manipulation over the setting by the researcher
- No independent, dependent or controlled variables
- No participant allocation
- Only measures the relationship
 Advantages and Limitations

- Allow researchers to explore - Cannot establish causality

relationships between variables
without manipulating them - Studies are influenced to
confounding variables
- Correlational studies can be
conducted relatively quickly and
cost-effectively
 example
1. Alcohol consumption and unemployment

2. Study hours and exam results

Case studies

By Isabella, Zainab & Eshita

 What is a case study?

A case study is an intensive, in-depth investigation of some

behaviour, activity, event or problem of interest in a single
individual, group, organisation or situation. In psychology, the
‘case’ that is the subject of ‘study’ is usually a person. It may
involve any type of behaviour and/or mental process, over a short
period of time or even many years.

Case studies for scientific research purposes are often used

when large numbers of participants are not available for an
investigation; for example, to study a single individual with a
rare or unusual disorder or ability. Such a case study may involve
a combination of dierent data collection methods such as
interviews, observations & questionnaires.
 Advantages and limitations

Advantages:
- Provide detailed information
- Deep insights about the study
- Allows to observe and record information about rare , impractical or
unethical conditions or behaviour
- New evidence to support psychological theory
Limitation:
- Can be time consuming
- Limited generalizability
- Can be biased
 Case Study-example

Genie Wiley - Case study of an abused ‘feral’ child

- Genie Wiley was a young girl who was raised in deprivation
- She was rescued and cared for by researchers
- Case study looked at the theory of critical periods
- This was an important case study because the conditions would be
extremely unethical to replicate/control
Classification and identification
Dominic, Ayami and Aikya
Definition
Classification and identification: Classification is the
arrangement of phenomena, objects or events into manageable
sets, whereas identification is a process of recognition of
phenomena as belonging to particular sets or possibly being
part of a new or unique set.
Example
- Measuring the behaviours of children
- They need to organise children into groups based on their behaviour
- Involves creating categories and allocating children accordingly
Advantages and disadvantages of identification and
classification
Advantages-
This research method allows us to better understand relationships and connections
between variables

Disadvantages-
There are two issues with classification and identification the first is the limitations
created by rigidity and the inability to accommodate for diversity. The second issue is the
reliance of observable characteristics
Fieldwork

By: Jessica & Armeen

What is it?
❖ observing and interacting with a selected environment to determine correlational
relationships.
❖ can be collected in various ways such as:
➢ observational studies
➢ self reports
➢ questionnaires
➢ surveys/interviews
❖ Example: psychologist watching students learning techniques in a classroom

(data can be quantitative or qualitative)

Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages

- Raw data - Time consuming

- Detailed - Costly
- Gives new perspectives & - Ethical considerations
understanding - May not be honest
Modelling
By Isabella Li and Vandya
Explanation and Example A famous example of a conceptual model is
the Atkinson-Shiffrin multi-store model of
Modelling refers to the construction memory, which describes 3 different stores
of a physical or a conceptual model of memory
to help psychologists understand and
simulate various psychological
phenomena.

The two main types of models are -

physical models and conceptual
models.
Advantages and Limitations
● Modelling is useful for ● may oversimplify certain
simplifying complex phenomena concepts
● Allows for demonstrations ● may inaccurately present how
they occur in reality
SIMULATIONAL STUDIES
DEFINITION
Simulation is a scientific method in which real life or theoretical events and processes are recreated
under specific test conditions often within a computer.

- Allows interaction between the variables to create new situations that can provide a broader
insight into the topic as it proceed
- Rely on a set of rules and specific operating procedures that ensure the simulation is conducted
accurately
- Permits individuals to realistically deal with a situation without the potential consequences
- Used when variables cannot be controlled as the system may be too complex, too large or small,
too fast or slow, not accessible or too dangerous
EXAMPLES
- University of Alberta Medical School, - Simulations also vital in the training for
simulations digitally recreated a Aircraft-Pilot trainees
scenario of patients in critical condition - Exposes them to emergency situations
that may occur during flights
- Would die without adequate
- Assesses ability to respond quickly to
treatment/care new situations
- Allows them to work practically without - Uses complex devices such as the Link
potential cost of lives trainer or Flight Simulator
ADVANTAGES LIMITATIONS
Can conduct experiments in social and other Creates an artificial setting - lacks realism
environment that investigators cannot easily which can alter how participants would
access ‘actually’ behave

Can be used when an investigation is not - Artificiality makes it difficult to

ethically permissible - harmful/unsafe generalise results to population
conditions

Allows investigation for scenarios that are

If VR becomes too realistic then it can create
unavailable
ethical issues on whether VR should be used
If technology is used then it may be a time
efficient and cost effective alternative

Allows strict control on situational variables

Literature
Reviews
Definition
A literature review explores and evaluates the literature on a
specific topic or question. It combines the contributions of
the different authors, often to identify areas that need
further exploration.
Literature in this case refers to the books and writings published
on a particular subject.
Their main purpose is to knit together theories and
results from multiple studies to give an overview
of a field of research.
A literature review:

1. Looks at what other people have already written about a topic

2. Organizes and summarizes this information
3. Compares different studies or ideas
4. Points out what's important or interesting
5. Helps the writer understand how their own research fits in with what's already known

It's like creating a map of what we already know about a subject, which helps guide new
research.

It allows the author to place into context the research and scholarly literature relevant to the topic.
Example
[Link]
pport/study-skills/assignment-writing/how-write-literature-
review/literature-review-example-analysis
 Advantages Disadvantages
● Allows you to gain familiarity with the ● Due to the development of the
knowledge in your chosen field as research, it could make your research
less relevant
well as its boundaries and limitations

● It may be too focused which might

● Provides an understanding of make the studies miss the bigger
theories in that field to place your picture
research question into context.

● Easy to be biased towards popular

journals.
● Prevents you from duplicating the
same information as others, allowing
you to find your own unique
approach to the topic
Product, process or system
development
goats
What is product, process or system development?
Basically it is just the creation of a process or product that can help with psychological tests or research

Wechsler Memory scale

A test used by experimenters to test
the memory of participants
More examples
Test of everyday attention

Measure of selective attention,

sustained attention and
attentional switching
Advantage and disadvantage of product, process and system development

Advantages:
The creation of a product or system allows for a new way to record or view human
behaviour or brain activity.
Help experimenter’s have more access to methods to evaluate a participant’s
behaviours
Disadvantages:
By itself is not a investigation methodology and is dependent on other methodologies
Additional products may cost experimenters more (attention test is $1300)