Chapter 3: From Research Ideas to Hypothesis Formulation:
Sources of research ideas:
-Problems originate from one or a combination of four sources:
😊Everyday life
😊Practical issues
😊Past research
😊Theory.
1.Everyday life:
- As we proceed through our daily routine, we meet many questions
in need of solution.
-The responses of a particular person also vary according to the
situation.
Example: A child who is very aggressive in one situation might be
passive in another.
2.Practical issues:
- Private industry faces such problems as low employee morale,
absenteeism, turnover, selection, and placement.
3.Past research:
- Research is an ongoing process as people spend their whole lives
investigating one area.
4.Theory:
- It is a statement or group of statements that explain “how” and
“why” some part of the world works.
-Helps researchers make new theoretical predictions about the
world.
, -Theoretical predictions become hypotheses to be empirically tested.
Operant conditioning principle of positive reinforcement:
-The frequency of occurrence of a behavior increases following
reinforcement applies broadly.
Psychotherapeutic research:
- Must focus on what works for whom.
- Other predictions will depend on person, place, context, and the
operation of other variables.
Bias in Research Ideas:
- Personal characteristics have influenced the selection of research
questions and have led scientists to overlook important aspects of
human behavior.
-To correct for potential bias and ensure that all topics of importance
receive attention, it is important that the scientific community
include scientists of many different personal and demographic
characteristics.
Ideas Not Capable of Scientific Investigation:
-Ideas that revolve around the issues of morality and religion.
Consider, for example: the issue of abortion.
-This is an issue that has been debated for decades and has polarized
the population.
-A large segment of the population advocates a prochoice position;
another large segment advocates a prolife position.
Review of the Literature:
- Reasons why you should do a literature review before conducting
any empirical research:
Sources of research ideas:
-Problems originate from one or a combination of four sources:
😊Everyday life
😊Practical issues
😊Past research
😊Theory.
1.Everyday life:
- As we proceed through our daily routine, we meet many questions
in need of solution.
-The responses of a particular person also vary according to the
situation.
Example: A child who is very aggressive in one situation might be
passive in another.
2.Practical issues:
- Private industry faces such problems as low employee morale,
absenteeism, turnover, selection, and placement.
3.Past research:
- Research is an ongoing process as people spend their whole lives
investigating one area.
4.Theory:
- It is a statement or group of statements that explain “how” and
“why” some part of the world works.
-Helps researchers make new theoretical predictions about the
world.
, -Theoretical predictions become hypotheses to be empirically tested.
Operant conditioning principle of positive reinforcement:
-The frequency of occurrence of a behavior increases following
reinforcement applies broadly.
Psychotherapeutic research:
- Must focus on what works for whom.
- Other predictions will depend on person, place, context, and the
operation of other variables.
Bias in Research Ideas:
- Personal characteristics have influenced the selection of research
questions and have led scientists to overlook important aspects of
human behavior.
-To correct for potential bias and ensure that all topics of importance
receive attention, it is important that the scientific community
include scientists of many different personal and demographic
characteristics.
Ideas Not Capable of Scientific Investigation:
-Ideas that revolve around the issues of morality and religion.
Consider, for example: the issue of abortion.
-This is an issue that has been debated for decades and has polarized
the population.
-A large segment of the population advocates a prochoice position;
another large segment advocates a prolife position.
Review of the Literature:
- Reasons why you should do a literature review before conducting
any empirical research:
