PSY 3012 Research Methods in Applied Psychology

Lecture: Introduction

Lecture: Course Overview

Lecture: Defining and Classifying Theories and Behavior

Outcomes

• Define scientific theory
• Differentiate between a hypothesis, a law, and a model
• Discuss the advantages of designing a computer model
• Contrast mechanistic and functional theories; recognize examples of each; and explain which type is better and why
• Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative theories and recognize examples of each
• Contrast descriptive, analogical, and fundamental theories; explain which is preferred and why; and recognize examples of each
• Describe the roles that theory plays in research
• Identify and describe the characteristics of a good theory
• Explain what is meant by confirmation and disconfirmation of a theory
• Explain how theories are tested
• Contrast confirmational and disconfirmational strategies, and explain how they are used to test a theory
• Define strong interference, and explain how it is used to test a theory
• Explain how theory-driven research and data-driven research differ
• Discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of theory-driven and data-driven research
• List five sources of research ideas
• Describe the characteristics of an empirical question
• Define operational definition
• Explain what makes a research question important, and why you should ask important questions
• Differentiate between a primary and a secondary source, and explain why you should not rely too heavily on secondary sources
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to using various types of books as sources
• Explain why you should conduct a literature review before you begin to design your study
• Contrast the different types of periodicals
• Explain why scholarly journals are the preferred sources for research information
• Contrast non-refereed and refereed journals. Explain which is more trustworthy (and why)
• Explain how you would assess the quality of a scholarly journal
• Explain the advantages of professional conferences
• Explain how to assess the quality of information found on the Internet
• Perform a basic and advanced PsycINFO search, narrowing and broadening your search as necessary
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of doing a PsycINFO search
• Describe the content of PsycARTICLES
• Identify other databases besides PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES
• Explain the cautions you should take before using information found on the Internet in your research
• Search for books using Internet resources
• Identify “other” tools available for performing an online literature search
• Understand how to critically evaluate the different sections of a research article
• Explain the file draw phenomenon and how it relates to published research
• Discuss the factors that determine whether an article will get published in a scholarly journal
• Describe the major problems associated with peer review
• Explain how values affect the research process
• Explain how you develop hypotheses for research

Lecture: Comparing Research Designs: Types and Examples

Outcomes

• Discuss the difference between correlational research and experimental research
• Explain why it is inappropriate to draw causal inferences from correlational data
• Identify the conditions under which correlational research is preferred over experimental research
• Discuss the characteristics of experimental research
• Explain the relationship between an independent and a dependent variable in an experiment
• Define extraneous variables and discuss how they affect your research
• Explain what can be done to control extraneous variables
• Compare and contrast a demonstration vs. a true experiment
• Explain the value of doing a demonstration
• Define internal validity, and discuss why it is important
• Discuss the factors that threaten internal validity
• Explain how confounding variables threaten internal validity, and how they can be avoided
• Define external validity. Explain when it is important to have high levels of external validity
• Discuss the trade-off between internal and external validity
• Define simulation, and explain why you would use one
• Explain how the realism of a simulation relates to the validity of the results
• Contrast laboratory and field research. Discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of each

Lecture: Reliability and Validity: Part 1

Lecture: Reliability and Validity: Part 2

Outcomes

• Discuss the factors you should consider when deciding what to observe in a study
• Define reliability
• Define the specific types of reliability, and explain how each is assessed
• Define accuracy
• Explain how the reliability and accuracy of a measure affect the generality of the results of a study
• Define validity
• Define the specific types of validity, and explain how each is assessed
• Explain the relationship between the reliability and validity of a measure
• Identify the defining characteristics of Stevens’ four scales of measurement. Understand that not all measures fall neatly into one of the four categories
• Discuss the factors that affect your choice of a scale of measurement
• Define ecological validity, and explain why you should be concerned about it
• Explain how sensitivity and range effects determine the adequacy of a dependent measure
• Recognize and give examples of how you might consider tailoring your dependent measures to the needs of your research participants
• Identify four different types of dependent variables, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each
• Describe Q-sort methodology, and explain when it is used
• Explain what implicit measures reveal
• Discuss how the act of measurement can affect your participants’ responses
• Define role attitude cues, and discuss how they might affect the results of your study
• Define demand characteristics, and discuss how they can affect the results of your study
• Define experimenter bias, and discuss how it can affect the results of your study
• Discuss the measures that can be taken to deal with reactivity in research
• Define pilot study, and explain why you should conduct one
• Define manipulation checks, and explain why you should include them in your study
• Discuss how the nature of your research affects whether you use human participants or animal subjects
• Differentiate between a population and a sample
• Define random sampling and discuss how it relates to generality of findings
• Discuss the problems that nonrandom sampling poses for research
• Discuss how nonrandom sampling applies to Internet research
• Summarize what the research tells us about sampling issues relating to Internet research
• Explain how nonrandom sampling applies to animal research
• Discuss the types of research in which random sampling might be less important
• Discuss the three factors you should consider when acquiring participants for your research
• Explain how volunteer bias relates to internal and external validity
• Discuss all the remedies for the problem of volunteer bias; be able to list at least four
• Explain deception and why it is used in research
• Identify the different types of research deception
• Discuss the problems created by using deception
• Explain the problem with using role playing as an alternative to deception
• Explain how you can obtain prior consent to be deceived
• Describe debriefing, and discuss how it can be made most effective
• Identify the steps you can take to reduce the impact of deception on participants
• Discuss the general considerations concerning using animals in research
• Describe the role that animal research has played in psychology

Lecture: Observational Research

Outcomes

• Identify the characteristics of observational research
• Describe the steps involved in most observational research (from the lecture)
• Explain how behavioral categories are developed
• Discuss the sampling techniques used to handle complexity when making behavioral observations
• Discuss the importance of interrater reliability
• Describe the techniques used to evaluate interrater reliability, and explain when each would be used
• Discuss how to deal with data from multiple observers
• List the sources of bias in observational research, and explain how the bias can be reduced
• Contrast quantitative and qualitative data
• Discuss the problems inherent in collecting qualitative data
• Define naturalistic observation and unobtrusive observation. Explain how they are used to study behavior
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of naturalistic observation
• Describe ethnography, and discuss the issues facing a field ethnographer
• Explain how ethnographic data are recorded and analyzed
• Describe sociometry, and explain when it is used
• Explain how case history and archival research are used
• Describe content analysis, and explain the steps that are taken when using it
• Describe meta-analysis, and explain the steps involved in using it
• Describe the issues facing you if you decide to do a meta-analysis

Lecture: Understanding and Dealing With Error Variance

Outcomes

• Recognize and give examples of the applications of survey research
• Discuss why it is important to know about survey methods, even if you do not intend to conduct surveys
• Explain how a field survey differs from other observational methods
• Define anonymity and confidentiality, and explain why they are important
• Explain the steps involved in designing a questionnaire
• Contrast open-ended and restricted items
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each
• Understand the ways in which questionnaire items can be formatted
• Construct questionnaire items using the recommendations in the reading
• Design effective rating scales
• Explain why the first question on a questionnaire is so important
• Assemble questionnaires in an effective manner using recommendations in the reading
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different ways of administering a questionnaire
• Define nonresponse bias, and explain what you can do to combat it
• Explain the role of social desirability effects in survey research
• Define representative sample, and discuss why it is important to have one for a survey
• Define random sample, and explain why it is important to do random sampling. (Discuss the possible implications of using a nonrandom sample)
• Define simple random sampling
• Compare and contrast the various sampling techniques that represent modifications of simple random sampling. Recognize and give examples of the situations in which you would use each of these techniques
• Explain what is meant by an “economic sample”
• Explain how the magnitude of the differences you expect to observe affects your decision about sample size
• Contrast between-subjects, within-subjects, and single-subject experiments. Recognize and provide examples of each
• Define error variance
• Identify and describe the different ways in which researchers deal with error variance
• Explain how statistics are used to test the reliability of data from a between-subjects experiment
• Describe a two-group, randomized design. Provide an example (of your own or from the reading)
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the two-group, randomized design
• Explain how parametric and nonparametric multigroup, randomized designs work
• Describe the steps involved in a matched-groups design, and explain when you would use one
• Describe the difference between a matched-pairs design and a randomized two-group design
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the matching strategy
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a within-subjects design
• Explain how carryover effects influence the interpretation of results from a within-subjects experiment
• Describe the different sources of carryover effects in a within-subjects design
• Describe the conditions under which counterbalancing will be effective and ineffective in dealing with carryover effects
• Explain when you would use a Latin square design
• Describe the strategies that can be used to deal with carryover effects
• Explain why between-subjects and within-subjects designs applied to the same variables do not always produce the same functional relationship
• Explain when you should consider using a within-subjects design instead of a between-subjects design
• Explain when you should consider using a matched-groups design rather than a within-subjects design
• Contrast single-factor and multifactor experimental designs
• Define factorial design, and explain its advantages and disadvantages
• Define main effect
• Define interaction, and describe what a graph depicting an interaction might look like
• Define higher-order factorial design, and explain its advantages and disadvantages
• Explain how a confounding variable affects the validity of your results
• Explain how confounding variables can be eliminated

Lecture: Quasi-Independent Variables and Quasi-Experimental Designs

Outcomes

• Describe a mixed design, and explain when it is used
• Describe a nested design, and explain when it is used
• Explain when you would combine experimental and correlational variables
• Define covariate, and explain when you would use one
• Define quasi-independent variable, and explain when you would use one
• Recognize and provide examples of quasi-independent variables
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of including a quasi-independent variable in your research
• Describe time series and equivalent time samples designs. Recognize and provide examples of each
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of quasi-experimental designs
• Explain how problems of internal validity are addressed in quasi-experimental designs
• Describe a nonequivalent control group design, and explain when you would use one
• Describe the strengths and weaknesses of a pretest-posttest design
• Describe the Solomon four-group design, and explain why you would consider using it
• Describe the cross-sectional developmental design, and discuss its advantages and disadvantages
• Describe the longitudinal developmental design, and discuss its advantages and disadvantages
• Describe the cohort-sequential design, and discuss its advantages and disadvantages

Lecture: Internet Research Ethics

Outcomes

• Discuss the ethical issues raised by Watson and Rayner’s “Little Albert” study
• Discuss the ethical issues raised by Ax’s experiment
• Discuss what could be done to address some of the ethical issues raised in the two studies reviewed
• Discuss the Nuremberg Code (what it is, and how it relates to current ethical guidelines)
• List the three principles laid out in the Belmont Report
• Recognize the main points of the APA code of research ethics
• Discuss the ethical issues raised by using children as research participants
• Discuss the special ethical concerns that face you if you conduct your research on the Internet
• Discuss the steps that can be taken to protect Internet participants’ privacy
• Explain why IRB review is important
• List the IRB’s two roles
• Recognize the ethical guidelines you must follow when using animal subjects
• Describe the composition of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
• Describe the cost-benefit analysis involved in deciding whether to use animal subjects
• Discuss what the APA ethical code says about research integrity
• Explain why we should be concerned about research fraud
• Explain what the ORI is and what it does
• Describe what constitutes research fraud, and discuss why it occurs
• Discuss the prevalence of research fraud and how it can be dealt with
• Utilize the recommendations in your reading to produce a research proposal including a title page, abstract, introduction (including a literature review), hypotheses, method, discussion (based on proposed contributions), and a reference section
• Format your paper in APA style

Lecture: Linking Statistical Tests to Experimental Designs

Outcomes

• Explain why sampling distributions are important in inferential statistics
• Explain the concept of sampling error
• Explain what a p-value means, and whether we want it to be low or high. Identify the cut-off that we usually use
• Contrast parametric and nonparametric statistics
• Understand the general logic behind inferential statistics
• Define Type I and Type II error, and explain how they are related to each other
• Explain what statistical significance means
• Explain when you should use a one-tailed vs. a two-tailed test
• Identify which statistic would be used for a particular type of design or data