5 Research Methods

Experimental

Description: Researcher manipulates the independent variable, observes changes in the dependent variable

Strengths: determine cause and effect relationships

Limitation: must be practical and ethical/ done in controlled settings/ artificial

Example:

Correlation

Description: Descriptive methods where variables aren't manipulated

Strengths: determines relationships between variable without direct manipulation

Limitations: doesn't prove or disprove cause and effect relationship

Example: Industrial Revolution/ Climate Change

Naturalistic Observation

Description: Researcher observes and records behavior over a period of time

Strengths: allows accurate observation and results

Limitations: No control group/ no results of cause and effect/ takes time -hard to observe behavior without disruption

Example: Observing child eating chocolate and increase of activity

Case Study

Description: In depth record of various observations of individuals experiences and behaviors

Strengths: detailed contextual view/ uncovers social and familial factors/ for ethical and practical reasons, researchers can't do experimental studies

Limitations: non-expermental, no cause and effect conclusions/ limited subjects/ rely on descriptive info/ info collected old, relies on memory

Subtopic

Survey

Description: collecting data

Strengths: large number of subjects/ collecting data on behaviors hard for direct observation

Limitations: relies on self-report/ descriptive not explanatory

Example: Car preferences