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Psychological Nvestigations

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G541: Psychological Investigations
The aim of this booklet is to provide you with practical activities to enhance your understanding of psychological investigations. Once completed it will provide a valuable revision tool…so take care of it!! The information covered in this booklet will also be of valuable when it comes to evaluating and understanding the methods used in the core studies.

Research Methods and Techniques used in Psychological Investigations
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Methods and Techniques
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Experimental Methods:
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The term experimental method refers to the method used to carry out the experiment. There are three main types of experiment – lab, field and natural/quasi. Research Method | Definition: | Advantage(s) | Disadvantage(s) | Laboratory experiment | A test under controlledconditions that is madeto demonstrate a knowntruth, examine the validityof a hypothesis, or determine the efficiency of something previously untried. | The research can better establish causality through reducing the number of confounds via a controlled environment like a lab setting. | The results may be artificial and not apply to the real world, there may be researcher bias or a social desirability affects, and the results may only apply to one situation and may be difficult to replicate or generalize. | Field experiment | 1. A field experiment applies the scientific method to experimentally examine an intervention in the real world (or as many experimentalists like to say, naturally occurring environments) rather than in the laboratory. | Less prone to demand characteristics.Can apply the results to everyday life. | |

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