Methods Review

I. General Research Strategies

Experimental vs. Correlational designs

 

A.  Experimental Strategies
     "Does X cause Y?"

 

 

1) Experimental control

 

 

 

• Causal argument

 

  2) Variables

• Independent

 

 

• Dependent 

 

  

  3) Types of experiments

• Lab vs. field experiments 

 

 

 

B. Correlational Designs

Are two variables related?

1) Correlation coefficient

 

 

 

2) Problems with Correlation: 

• Can't establish causality (correlation does not equal causation)

 

 

• Direction of causation

 

 

• Third variable influence

 

 

  C. Qualitative Research

 

 

 

 

II. Typically Used Methods

A. Observation

1. Natural vs. laboratory setting/ Structured vs. unstructured

 

 

 

2. Systematic observation:

• specimen record

 

 

• time-sampling

 

 

• event-sampling

 

 

• ratings

 

 

2. Report Measures

1. Interviews

 

 

2. Questionnaires

 

 

C.  Measurement issues

1. Reliability & Validity

 

 

2. problem of bias

 

 

D. External/ecological validity

 

 

 

III. Developmental Designs

A. Longitudinal Designs = AGE CHANGE 

 

 

 

• advantages and disadvantages

 

 

 

 B. Cross-Sectional Designs = AGE DIFFERENCES

 

 

• advantages and disadvantages

 

 

 

C. Sequential Designs

 

 

 

 

 

IV. Ethical Guidelines

• Protection from harm

 

• Informed consent

 

• Privacy

 

• Knowledge of results

 

• Beneficial treatments

 

 

V. METHODS AND ETHICS DISCUSSION - What's wrong?

 

 

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