Types of research

Summary

This video explores various research designs in psychology, highlighting their pros and cons. It covers methods such as cross-sectional research, which studies people at one point in time, and longitudinal research, which tracks people over an extended period. Other methods include case studies, field studies, surveys, true experiments, and quasi-experiments. Through the example of studying happiness in children, the video demonstrates how each research design can answer different questions about human behavior, emphasizing the balance between control, cost, and the ability to draw causal conclusions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Cross-sectional research involves studying a group of people at a single point in time, offering a quick and inexpensive way to gather data, but it doesn't show changes over time.
• 😀 Longitudinal research follows the same group of people over a long period, providing insights into how individuals change over time, but it is more costly and time-consuming.
• 😀 Case studies focus on a single person, providing detailed insights, but their findings may not apply to the broader population.
• 😀 Field studies observe participants in their natural environment, offering more realistic behaviors but lack control over the environment and can't test specific variables.
• 😀 Surveys allow for large-scale data collection from many people quickly and cheaply, but responses may not always be honest or reliable.
• 😀 True experiments involve random assignment to different groups to test hypotheses, offering strong control over the environment and the ability to make causal conclusions, though they require significant planning.
• 😀 Quasi-experiments compare naturally occurring groups (e.g., boys vs. girls), which are useful for identifying differences but don't allow for conclusions about cause and effect.
• 😀 Each research design has its pros and cons, and the choice of design depends on the research question, available resources, and the type of information sought.
• 😀 Longitudinal and cross-sectional research designs are often contrasted for studying changes over time versus providing snapshots of a specific moment.
• 😀 Psychologists use a variety of research designs to answer important questions about human behavior, such as happiness, learning, and mental illness.

Q & A

What is the main difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs?

Cross-sectional research studies a group of people at a single point in time, whereas longitudinal research follows the same group of people over an extended period to observe changes over time.

What is a key advantage of cross-sectional research?

A key advantage of cross-sectional research is that it is relatively easy and inexpensive, and it allows researchers to study a large group of people within a single session.

What is the primary disadvantage of cross-sectional research?

The primary disadvantage of cross-sectional research is that it cannot study how individuals change over time, which limits its ability to provide insights into the development of behaviors or emotions.

What is the main advantage of longitudinal research?

The main advantage of longitudinal research is that it allows researchers to track how people's behaviors or thoughts change over time, providing valuable insights into the stability of traits like happiness.

What are some challenges of conducting longitudinal research?

Longitudinal research can be expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to conduct due to the long duration required. Additionally, it can be hard to retain participants over time due to the prolonged commitment.

What is a case study, and what are its advantages and disadvantages?

A case study involves in-depth research on a single person or case. The advantage is that it provides detailed information, but the disadvantage is that it may not be generalizable to others, as it focuses on one individual.

How does a field study differ from a laboratory study?

In a field study, researchers observe participants in their natural environments, such as schools or playgrounds. This contrasts with laboratory studies, where participants are observed in controlled, artificial settings.

What is a potential disadvantage of field studies?

A potential disadvantage of field studies is that researchers have no control over the environment, which makes it difficult to test the impact of specific variables or ask participants questions without disrupting natural behavior.

What makes survey studies a common research method in psychology?

Survey studies are popular because they are easy to conduct, inexpensive, and can collect data from a large number of people in a short amount of time, making them efficient for gathering information on various topics.

What is the difference between a true experiment and a quasi-experiment?

A true experiment involves random assignment of participants to different groups, while a quasi-experiment compares pre-existing groups that were not created through random assignment, such as comparing boys and girls.