PSY 2105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Age 13, Cultural Psychology, Repeated Measures Design
17 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Two roles that a theory plays in research: theories are used to organize research findings and guide new research, researchers work within particular underlying theoretical orientations that define their domains of interest and suggest specific research questions. Researchers ensure objectivity in conducting research: objectivity is ensured by focusing on behaviours that are, observable, measurable, quantifiable. Types of research: the three major research methods used by child psychologists are descriptive research, correlational research, and experimentation. One example is genie, who was raised in isolation until age 13; her case illustrates the opportunity to examine issues not susceptible to conventional methods: generalizability is limited in case studies, but they are rich in heuristic value. However, determination of a correlational relationship does not demonstrate a causal relationship: correlations show pattern and strength but do not eliminate third variables or indicate the direction of influence.
