The research process involves a series of sequential steps.
Selecting a research topic. Social psychologists must develop an idea about social behavior worth exploring. They generally investigate topics that have relevance to their own lives and culture.
The question of interest usually revolves around whether a phenomenon can be explained by a particular principle or theory.
A theory is an organized system of ideas that seeks to explain why two or more events are related.
Good theories are characterized by predictive accuracy, internal coherence, economy, and fertility.
Developing a theory and hypotheses.
A theory is an organized system of ideas that explains how two or more events are related.
A hypothesis is a specific prediction about the nature of variables involved in a theory. They are the logical implications of a theory.
Selecting a scientific method and gaining approval to conduct the research. The method chosen must allow the hypotheses to be tested.
Where the study takes place may dictate the method; laboratory studies are often experimental, while field studies are often correlational.
To ensure the safety of the participants in the study, research institutions have Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review and approval scientific endeavors before they begin.
Collecting the data.
Three basic types of data collection are self-reports, direct observation, and use of archival information.
Analyzing the data.
Descriptive statistics summarize and describe the behavior or characteristics of a particular sample of participants in a study.
Inferential statistics are the results of mathematical analyses that move beyond mere description of research data to make inferences about the larger population from which the sample was drawn.
Reporting the results. Results can be disseminated through publication in scientific journals, presentations at professional meetings, or personal communication with other researchers in the field.
Description is the goal of observational research.
Naturalistic observation involves recording behavior as it occurs in its natural environment.
Correlations describe the strength of the relationship between two variables. Can be linear, curvilinear, or no relationship.
Are not able to determine causation.
Correlational research provides information on the direction and strength of the relationship between variables.
Research designed to examine the nature of the relationship between two or more naturally occurring variables.
Vulnerable to third-variable and reverse causality problems in interpretation.
Experimental research can determine cause-effect relationships.
Research designed to test cause-effect relationships between variables through manipulation of independent variable(s) and observation of dependent variable(s).
Field experiment: an experiment conducted in a natural, real-life setting, outside the laboratory. Realism of the setting allows for greater generalizability, but control may be sacrificed.
Laboratory experiment: an experiment conducted in a carefully controlled environment that simulates real-life settings. High degree of control is possible, but external validity may be sacrificed.
Meta-analysis. A statistical technique used to combine information from many empirical studies on a single topic to objectively estimate the reliability and overall size of the effect.
II. Ethics in Social Psychology
All proposed social psychological studies must submit to ethical evaluation.
In the 1960s and 1970s concern was raised over whether the significance of research topics justified exposing participants to potentially harmful psychological consequences.
Current guidelines mandate informed consent on the part of participants and debriefing after the experiment.
In assessing proposed studies, priority is always given to the welfare of participants over any potential benefits of the research.
A recurring debate is whether social psychology should be a value-free science.
A commonly accepted belief within philosophy of science is that there is no science untouched by values and politics of the dominant culture.
