Methods Used in Psychological Research - Essay Example

Methods used in Psychological Research Psychological research entails the performance of simple to complex experiments with an aim of collecting useful data. This requires the use of various research methods depending on the type of information top be collected, sampling procedure involved and the type of tools to be used in collecting the data. It also depends on whether the psychologists require quantitative or qualitative data or both. The methods that will be discussed in this paper are questionnaires, ethnography and experimentation. The paper will give an insight of each method, appraise it in terms of what it allows psychologists to study, the data does it allows psychologists to collect and the type of conclusions it allows psychologists to draw. These are followed by an outline of its merits. Questionnaires Questionnaires as a research a method involve the use of a series of statements or questions to retrieve statistically useful information regarding a certain topic (Stangor 134). Once administered, the researchers have little control over the respondents hence validity of results depends on the honesty of the respondents. An example of a good use of this method was during a psychological research, conducted by Theodor Ardono et al, aimed at exploring the authoritarian personality. As a starting pint, the researchers agreed that the attitudes of a person are a reflection of their personality characteristics. Therefore, the best way of tapping into the personality of a person was to measure their corresponding attitudes (Brace and Byford 34). Basing on the above experiment, we can say that questionnaires allow psychologists to measure and study bigger constructs in life that cannot be measured directly for example personality. This is because the method allows psychologists to collect quantitative data, as well as qualitative data. Questionnaires involves the answering a set of questions which reveals the opinions of the people regarding something. At the same time, the researchers can use questionnaires to come up with the number or percentage of people who support a particular view and those that do not. From the results obtained, researchers are able to draw valid conclusions on the percentage of people who exhibit a certain character and the degree of this character in them. This is well achieved given that questionnaires can be produced as rating scales which indicate the level to which correspondents agree to the arguments presented (Brace and Byford 37). According to Stangor (137), the main advantage of the method is that gathering of information is standardized hence they are more objective. This means data obtained is more reliable more than for those methods that give room for subjective judgments for example interviews. Data collection is quick since one researcher can attend to many respondents at a time as compared to face-to-face interviews. The researcher simply administers the questionnaires to many people and gives some short time for filling them before collecting them. Questionnaires can allow researchers to collect information from a larger potential group as compared to interviews for example a whole campus or society. This means results obtained form a good basis of drawing a valid conclusion about the people or the society. From this point, the method can also be said to be cheap. The method is cost-effective because it does not attract participants with a neutral response for example those who would say ‘I don’t know’. Brace and Byford (36) states that the method forces participants to take a position either in support or against the arguments presented Ethnography Ethnography is another research method that can be used by psychologists when conducting psychological researches. This is an approach where the researcher conducts an extensive observation of a group under research through an active involvement in the group’s activities over a period of time (Brace and Byford 256). An example of research that was conducted using this method is exploring the role of friendship, done by William Corsaro. From the definition, the researcher is required to become part of the group under study and participate actively in their activities. This active participate allows the researcher to make detailed notes on the group and their interactions. The researcher also takes photographs and records conversations between members of the group. Ethnography therefore allows researchers to collect qualitative data. Such a method can be used to collect the type of informational which the correspondents cold not have given it out well. For example, it is better to make a direct collection of information regarding the role of friendship. Depending on age, it could be difficult for children to verbalize their feeling and thoughts regarding the topic of friendship and its role. In ethnography, a researcher has to blend themselves into the group under study and this could be difficult especially blending to a group of children due to the conspicuous adult body size. The researcher therefore has to overcome this problem in order to attain the status of a friend amongst the children. For example, watching from a distance at the beginning and soon the children will notice their presence and invite them to their social word (Brace and Byford 257). Ethnography is a method that allows psychologists to develop a complex picture about the subjects under research. For example, it allows them to know the important values and cultural influences shared by the group. Such information cannot be obtained easily through experiments, questionnaires or interviews because some of the subtle and complicated influences could be missed. According to Brace and Byford (260), the challenge in the method is to analyse the qualitative data in a way that will maintain the researcher’s view of the participants. This makes the detailed and rich picture of the researcher regarding the topic to merge. Ethnography allows researchers to draw conclusions that are dependent direct and factual information as compared to depending on what people say which could be true or false. The most important advantage of ethnography is that research is more in-depth and this allows for complex and rich data to be collected. The approach allows the researcher to observe and record first-hand information on the child’s or group’s experiences for an extended period (Brace and Byford (262). Ethnography allows researchers to study in-depth lifestyles and various cultural aspects of human populations and this allows the researcher to gain a deep understanding of the subjects. This is also important in the drawing of conclusions. Apart from studying individuals or groups, the method allows researchers to study various human societies because it gives a wider understanding of the human condition and experience (Stangor 148). Experimentation Psychologist can also utilise experimentation when conducting psychological researches. This method involves the performance of practicals aimed at testing the nature of a given reality. It also involves the use of two variables namely dependent and independent variables (Stangor 150). The function of the experiment is to study the variables and this is done using manipulated environments. There is also the use of a control group which is not subjected to a controlled situation as the main study group. This increases the validity of the conclusion drawn by comparing the results from the two groups. Experimentation is therefore driven by the goal of explaining given scenarios through the discovered information. The researcher usually comes up with hypotheses, null and alternative, regarding the issue under research. These hypotheses are pre-conceived perception regarding the issue and the purpose of the experiment is to falsify, verify or establish their accuracy. This is achieved by manipulating the given variables during the various experiment rounds. In relation to this, experiments are functional in testing existing theories. As a scientific method, research is used to decide between conflicting explanations or hypotheses. The strength of this method regarding this lies in the use of repeated series of experiments. Individual experiments may receive two or more interpretations but this point of weakness is normally minimised by successive experiments because they narrow down the number of possible interpretations. (Stangor 154) explains that though they vary in their goals, experiments usually depends on repeatable procedures which are followed by logistic analysis of collected data. This means they are replicable or repeatable. Since the method involves measurements, it is useful in obtaining quantitative data more than it can be used to obtain qualitative data. The types of conclusions drawn from experimentation are cause-effect conclusions. They are also those that support, disprove or verify the stated hypotheses and existing theories. The main advantage of experimentation is that is allows for the collection of primary data. The method also allows the establishment of causes and effects in a certain situation. This is achieved through manipulation of variables and comparing results with those of the control group. No other method allows for precise control of variables. Experiments can be replicated and a repetition of it increases confidence for the results obtained and the validity of the conclusions drawn. Conclusion The type of data required, type of respondents, and the time, financial and other resources available plays a big role in the selection of the research method employed in psychology. Some of the methods for example ethnography are important in obtaining qualitative data whereas others like questionnaires can be used to achieve both. Ethnography and experimentation are very effective in the obtainment of primary data. Of the three methods discussed, ethnography is a powerful method for studying and explaining the behaviour of humans while experimentation is a useful for proofing, falsifying or supporting existing theories or formulated hypotheses. Works Cited Brace Nichola and Byford Jovan (eds). Discovering Psychology. Milton Keynes, UK. The Open University Press. 2010 Stangor Charles. Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences (3rd Ed). Boston, MA. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2007. Word Count: 1569 Read More