Methods of Research

Research, or systematic inquiry aimed at the discovery of new knowledge, is a central component of the scientific method in psychology. It provides the key to understanding the degree to which scientific hypotheses (and the theories behind them) are accurate. Just as we can apply different theories and hypotheses to explain the same phenomena, we can use a number of alternative methods to conduct research.

In this exercise, you will learn more about several methods of research that psychologists use to gain new knowledge about human behavior, and about the ethical concerns psychologists face when conducting research.

1. Consider this scenario: You are conducting research on sex differences in writing in email. Your hypothesis is that men use more declarative statements, and women use more questions.

Answer each of the following questions.

* What might be the advantages of using the archival method? * The advantage to this method would be that you could pull plenty of emails from men and from women that would help verify this hypothesis and come to a prominent conclusion.

* What might be the disadvantages of using the archival method? * A disadvantage to this method would be that if you couldn’t get access to the needed emails or said information then no prominent conclusion could be mad as long as the info was unavailable.

2. Now imagine that you are conducting research on the length of time it takes customers to select items in a grocery store. Assume that your hypothesis is that people will take more time to decide whether or not to buy more expensive items than they will for cheaper items.

* What might be the advantages of using naturalistic observation? * The advantage to this method would be that you could go to a store and observe customers and see how long it takes them decide between the two