Knowing the definitions of these words will help you understand how psychology research is done.
Psychologists use different research methods to investigate the human mind and behavior.
The words that they use to design and report their studies can be very complex.
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Youll find it easier to understand research papers if you know some key terms used in psychology.
Applied Research
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Applied researchfocuses on solving practical problems.
For example, researchers could investigate which treatments for a mental health condition led to the best outcomes.
This research is directly applicable and can help people improve their day-to-day lives.
Baseline
A baseline is the starting point of a study.
It gives the researchers something to compare the results of their study to.
At the end of the study, the participants can be asked about their symptoms again.
Basic Research
Basic researchexplores theories to expand the scientific knowledge base on a psychological subject.
Case Study
Acase studyis an in-depth narrative about a single person or group.
Causation
Causation is when there is a clear, direct cause-and-effect relationship between two things.
When one variable in a study is changed, it changes another.
Correlational Research
Correlational studiesare used to look for relationships between variables.
The correlation coefficient is a measure of correlation strength and can range from -1.00 to +1.00.
To avoid these cues, the question could have been How did the music make you feel?
which would not have led the participants toward making a specific response.
Dependent Variable
Thedependent variableis the variable that is being measured in an experiment.
This method helps researchers determine if cause-and-effect relationships exist between different variables.
Independent Variable
Theindependent variableis the variable of interest that the researcher varies systematically.
This process helps determine if there is a cause-and-effect relationship between two different variables.
Longitudinal Research
Longitudinal researchexamines long-term effects and relationships.
These studies take place over an extended time, be it several weeks, years, or even decades.
Naturalistic Observation
Naturalistic observationinvolves observing subjects in their natural environments.
In some studies, the researchers know which group got a placebo and which did not.
Other times, they dont know which group got the placebo until after the study.
This is called theplacebo effect."
Punishment is meant to act as a deterrent for unwanted behavior.
A classic example of a punishment is sending a child to time out when they misbehave.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research does not focus on numbers and data.
Quasi-Experiment
A quasi-experiment involves changing an independent variable without randomly assigning participants to random groups.
Often, this design is necessary because people are already in groups that cant be changed.
Random Assignment
Random assignmentis when researchers use chance procedures to group participants in a study.
For example, researchers may randomly assign participants to groups in a study that compares two treatments.
A common example of reinforcement is rewarding a child for doing their chores.
Reliability
Reliabilitymeans the consistency of a measure.
A test is considered reliable if researchers get the same result repeatedly.
It is impossible to calculate reliability exactly.
Instead, researchers use several different methods to estimate reliability.
Replication
Replicationmeans the repetition of a research study, usually with different situations and subjects.
This tendency can threaten the validity of a psychological experiment if it skews the results of the study.
Stimulus
Astimulusis something that causes a response, like an object, event, or circumstance.
One of the most well-known examples of a stimulus in psychology is the bell in Pavlovs experiment with dogs.
Eventually, they would salivate in anticipation of the meal every time they heard the bell.
Validity
Validityis the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure.
A test needs to be valid to ensure the results can be accurately applied and interpreted.
Heath W.Psychology Research Methods: Connecting Research to Students Lives.
