06/10/25
Introduction
Research Methods
Main Ideas:
● Early psychologists used introspection:
● Problems with this include types of biases including confirming bias, cherry picking and moving the
goal posts -> Scientific method was created to bypass these
The scientific method procedure:
● question, hypothesis, prediction, experiment, analysis, interpretation
● Research question -> needs to be specific
● Hypothesis -> A working model of the area we are interested in using what we already know
● Prediction -> implied by our hypothesis, more specific, yes or no question, falsifiable, can be
answered by the data we collect
● Experiment, analysis and interpretation -> or quasi experiment, test our prediction
Key concepts of the scientific method:
● testability/falsifiability, null hypothesis, ‘testing to destruction’ (do whatever it takes to prove the
theory wrong), reliability, validity
Overall, what is scientific research?
● beyond observation and intuition, needs generalisable models, testable/falsifiable hypotheses,
replicability (can another researcher replicate the experiment exactly and see what results they
get?), usable answers
How do we do research?
● Quantitative methods, Qualitative methods
Extra Notes:
● Research questions need to ideally have a yes/no answer
● Predictions need to have their yes/no questions clearly defined
● With experimentation, we are looking for a difference between two or more conditions or groups or
looking for a relationship between two or more variables
● Science uses testable and falsifiable hypothesis
● Reliability including test-retest (consistent answers per repeated test), inter-rater (two or more
observers agree on the data by getting similar results), internal consistency (same medium e.g.
questionnaire has consistent material), parallel forms (same test but different versions)
● Validity including face validity (does it look like it’s measuring what it’s supposed to be measuring),
construct validity (defining what it is your measuring), concurrent validity (old and new test have
similar results to each other), predictive validity (results can predict outcomes some time later)
● Quantitative methods uses numerical data such as from questionnaires and scales as well as
experimental methods whilst qualitative methods care about lived experience as well as detailed
observations and in depth interviews
Summary:
Introduction
Research Methods
Main Ideas:
● Early psychologists used introspection:
● Problems with this include types of biases including confirming bias, cherry picking and moving the
goal posts -> Scientific method was created to bypass these
The scientific method procedure:
● question, hypothesis, prediction, experiment, analysis, interpretation
● Research question -> needs to be specific
● Hypothesis -> A working model of the area we are interested in using what we already know
● Prediction -> implied by our hypothesis, more specific, yes or no question, falsifiable, can be
answered by the data we collect
● Experiment, analysis and interpretation -> or quasi experiment, test our prediction
Key concepts of the scientific method:
● testability/falsifiability, null hypothesis, ‘testing to destruction’ (do whatever it takes to prove the
theory wrong), reliability, validity
Overall, what is scientific research?
● beyond observation and intuition, needs generalisable models, testable/falsifiable hypotheses,
replicability (can another researcher replicate the experiment exactly and see what results they
get?), usable answers
How do we do research?
● Quantitative methods, Qualitative methods
Extra Notes:
● Research questions need to ideally have a yes/no answer
● Predictions need to have their yes/no questions clearly defined
● With experimentation, we are looking for a difference between two or more conditions or groups or
looking for a relationship between two or more variables
● Science uses testable and falsifiable hypothesis
● Reliability including test-retest (consistent answers per repeated test), inter-rater (two or more
observers agree on the data by getting similar results), internal consistency (same medium e.g.
questionnaire has consistent material), parallel forms (same test but different versions)
● Validity including face validity (does it look like it’s measuring what it’s supposed to be measuring),
construct validity (defining what it is your measuring), concurrent validity (old and new test have
similar results to each other), predictive validity (results can predict outcomes some time later)
● Quantitative methods uses numerical data such as from questionnaires and scales as well as
experimental methods whilst qualitative methods care about lived experience as well as detailed
observations and in depth interviews
Summary:
