Research Methods Assignment

Name: Brooks Metzler


Go to: http://www.wadsworth.com/psychology_d/templates/student_resources/workshops/resch_wrk.html

Go to: Research Methods.

Go to: Survey

1. Explain why psychologists use surveys.

They use surveys to gain access to information that people may not be willing to share openly

2. Identify and define the 3 types of ?s used for surveys.

close-ended

partially closed

open-ended

3. Answer the question posed on slide 7.

If someone close to the person surveyed has been victim of a violent crime, he or she may be biased against weapons/violence

4. Determine why a representative sample is necessary for our survey development.

Because we need to get something to make a comparison too when we get larger amounts of data

5. Explain the type of sampling method will we use for our survey

Stratified random samples, because we need to get an idea of the population while not picking all people who think the same

Go to:

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/alevel/psychology/research-methods.html

Go to: Research Methods

Go to: Choosing Participants – Sampling.

Go to: Relationship between Researchers and Participants.

1. Explain researcher effects.

Mea ns that the researcher can affect the behavior of the participants and therefore affect the outcome of the experiment

2. Explain the ways used to minimize these effects in research.

disguising the purpose of the investigation: stops participants from guessing the purpose and changing their behavior as a result

single-blind design: patients do not know if they are experimental or control

double-blind design: neither participants nor experimenter know which condition people are being treated as



Go to: Correlations

1. Define positive correlation.

Both variables increase together

2. Define negative correlation.

One variable increases while another decreases

Go to: Questionnaires & Interviews.

1. List the strengths and weaknesses of using surveys.

Strengths: people can be tested quickly, easy to generate quantitative data and easy to analyze; collect large amounts of data about what people think and do; convenient; can quickly show changes in attitude or behavior before and after certain events

Weaknesses: People say what they think will look good; people may not tell the truth; if the researcher is present, it may affect the answers; it is difficult to phrase questions clearly

2. Determine how we will use quantitative or qualitative data analysis. (Justify your rationale.)

Quantitative: To associate a number with a question or answer in order to ease the process of gathering data

Qualitative: Asking a specific question or asking for a specific answer

Go to: Data Analysis & Presentations.

1. State the type of graph or chart will work best for our survey purposes.

Bar chart