What is an experiment? By far the most common research method used in psychology is the experimental method, so we’ll start here for our introduction into research methods unit. You are also going to research, plan, design, conduct and report about your own experiment idea. A study is an experiment when the relationship between two variables is investigated. A variable …
Ethics in Research
What ethical guidelines should researchers follow when conducting research? Modern psychological research in the West needs to follow ethical guidelines set out by research organisations such as the American Psychological Association (APA) or the British Psychological Society (BPS). These are important guidelines that ensure the human and animal rights to subjects involved in psychological research. Considerations when studying humans: Informed consent …
Introduction to Experimental Research Methods
Quantitative methods in psychology are those that deal with quantitative data; in other words they deal with numbers and statistics. The most common form of quantitative research is the experimental method. All the topics of study in this unit will help you build the skills and knowledge that are needed for you to complete the Internal Assessment, where you get …
Brain Imaging: All About MRI
Background Information The MRI was invented in 1977 and was a major breakthrough in brain research. MRIs can be used for any part of the body and you may have even had one yourself if you’ve suffered from an injury. However, in psychology they are used to study the brain and this is what our focus will be on. MRIs …
True, Natural and Field ExperimentsAn easy lesson idea for learning about experiments.
There is a difference between a “true experiment” a “field experiment” and a “natural experiment”. These separate experimental methods are commonly used in psychological research and they each have their strengths and limitations. True Experiments A true experiment is one where: the researcher has controlled for the influence of extraneous variables (i.e. factors that may potentially become confounding variables) and… …
Lesson Idea: Identifying Sampling MethodsA quick and easy activity to help students learn different sampling methods.
Updated Nov 2019. Understanding sampling methods by just reading definitions can be difficult. The best way to learn about them is to see them in action. The following simple activity has been designed to help. What you need to know… Here are four of the common sampling methods used in quantitative research. You need to know what these mean and …