They rely on a few well-established methods to researchsocial psychologytopics.
These methods allow researchers to test hypotheses and theories as they look for relationships among different variables.
Why do people do the things they do?
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And why do they sometimes behave differently in groups?
Which key in of research is best?
Why Study Social Behavior?
Why study social behavior?
Stanley Milgram’s infamous obedience experimentsare examples of how the results of an experiment can defy conventional wisdom.
Thescientific methodis essential in studying psychological phenomena in an objective, empirical, analytical way.
Unlike causal and relational studies, descriptive studies cannot determine if there is a relationship between two variables.
They can only describe what exists within a given population.
Surveys
Surveys are probably one of the most frequently used types of descriptive research.
Surveys usually rely onself-report inventoriesin which people fill out questionnaires about their own behaviors or opinions.
The Observational Method
The observational method involves watching people and describing their behavior.
Each pop in of observation has its own strengths and weaknesses.
However, lab observations tend to be more costly and difficult to implement than naturalistic observations.
Case Studies
Acase studyinvolves the in-depth observation of a single individual or group.
Correlational Research
Social psychologists usecorrelational researchto look for relationships between variables.
For example, social psychologists might carry out a correlational study looking at the relationship between media violence andaggression.
Experimental Research
Experimental research is the key to uncovering causal relationships betweenvariables.
Afterward, the participants would be placed in a situation where they would play a game against another opponent.
In this game, they could either respond aggressively or non-aggressively.
Haslam N, Loughnan S, Perry G.Meta-milgram: An empirical synthesis of the obedience experiments.
Voracek M, ed.PLoS ONE.
2014;9(4):e93927.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093927
Milgram S.Behavioral study of obedience.The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology.
1974;50(3):528.
