Origins of Psychology and Research Methods Worksheet

Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Roberts, T. (2013). Theories of personality (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Larsen, J.R. and Buss, MD. Personality psychology: domains of knowledge about human nature (4th ed). McGraw-Hill publisher.

Describe the experimental method, state its advantages and disadvantages, and distinguish between independent and dependent variables.

Describe the experimental method, state its advantages and disadvantages, and distinguish between independent and dependent variables.

However with advantages come disadvantages. For example, with correlational studies there is no background information obtained. Therefore, the reliability of the correlational studies is questioned.

Using what you have learned about correlational research and experimental research, describe how scientists could use each of these methods to study the brain. Be sure to show which two variables would be correlated for the correlational study and identify the experimental and control groups, and the IV and DV for the experimental

A correlation research determines whether or not at least two variables are correlated. An example scenario, when it would be advantageous for researchers to use correlation research design, is to examine if there is any correlation exists between family income and SAT scores. The researcher describes the relationship between these two variables by checking whether an increase or decrease in family income corresponds to an increase or decrease in the SAT scores. A positive correlation exists between family income and SAT scores when family income increases lead to an increase in the SAT scores and a decrease in family income leads to a decrease in the SAT scores. A negative correlation exists when an increase in family income leads to a decrease

Ellis, A., Abrams, L. D., & Abrams, M. (2009). Personality Theories: Critical Perspectives. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Gaining causal relationships is essential to true-experimental research. In other words, this means the bond between a definite variables, X, which alone makes the effect Y. For example, turning the volume knob on your stereo clockwise causes the sound to get louder. Besides, you could see that turning the knob clockwise alone, and nothing else, caused the sound level to increase. You could further come into conclusion that a causal relationship exists between turning the knob clockwise and a rise in volume; not simply since one caused the other, but since you are sure that nothing else caused the

Within the discipline of psychology, there are several perspectives used to describe, predict, and explain human behavior. The seven major perspectives in modern psychology are psychoanalytic, behaviorist, humanist, cognitive, neuroscientific/biopsychological, evolutionary, and sociocultural. Describe the seven major psychological perspectives using two to three sentences each. Select one major figure associated with one of the seven major perspectives and describe his or her work in two to three sentences. Type your response in the space below.

Statistical analysis permits the researcher to discover complex causal relationships and to determine to what extent one variable influences another.

Other aspects of experimental design: the use of any control conditions, control groups, randomization, and/or counterbalancing

While the correlation between a cause and its effects may seem apparent, often too many different factors must be considered. Through experimentation, more accurate correlations may be made to determine a cause. This aspect of experimental research makes it somewhat superior to other forms of research (Rutter, 2007). Another advantageous characteristic of experimental research is the possibility of replication. In most research applications, too many variables may pollute a given situation and increase the difficulty with which to adequately make initial observations. Experimental research is more easily contained to the desired set of variables, and as such experiments can be replicated to further test hypotheses. Reproducing an experiment is much easier than conducting additional research by other means (Fagaras, Kovacs, Oros, Rafaila, Topa & Harrant, 2013).

However, the researcher in this complex situation may find it conducive to use correlation. Correlation permits the researcher to identify between relative variables within the project of concern. Conducting an observation, the researcher is able to gather data of greater confidence. The investigator will be better able to collect and use

Experimental methods have been dominantly used in physiology education for over a century(Cronbach 1957), which was slowly being adopted with the inception of scientific studies, medical studies and other study areas in the light of which the research was modelled on established paradigms for the field of their respective studies. This relied on experiments to derive equations and laws, to come up with thesis and principles. Thus, experimental approach has been influenced in information technology over the last 3 decades by shifting its focus from conventional survey-based testing of a proposed theoretical model to experimentation method.