PSC 142 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Quasi, Design Of Experiments
Research Methods
● How do we study social & personality development?
○ A look at research methods
○ Do young children help other people? If so, why? How does it develop?
● Do young children help other people ?
○ Measuring helping behavior
■ Observation
● In a naturalistic (everyday ) setting
● In a lab
■ Questionnaires, interviews, or surveys
● Reports from parents or other secondary sources
● Self - reports
■ Biologically - based methods (neuroimaging, physiology)
■ Case study
■ Psychological tests or performance measures
● If so, why?
○ Research designs to evaluate the causes of helping behavior
■ Correlational design- evaluating the strength of the association
between 2 or more variables
■ Experimental design - manipulates a potential cause (independent
variable) to determine its effects on the outcome of interest
(dependent variable)
Document Summary
Reports from parents or other secondary sources. Research designs to evaluate the causes of helping behavior. Correlational design- evaluating the strength of the association between 2 or more variables. Experimental design - manipulates a potential cause (independent variable) to determine its effects on the outcome of interest (dependent variable) Quasi - experimental design - studies natural variations in a potential cause to determine its effects on the outcome of interest. Cross -sectional design - people from different age groups are studied at the same time. Longitudinal design - 1 group of people is studied repeatedly over time. Research can have unanticipated stresses for children of all ages. Children"s responses may not mean the same thing that they would from an adult. Children aim to please adults (including experimenters) Children & youth in difficult, stressful circumstances are especially vulnerable, sometimes in unexpected ways. Researchers who study children can be biased.
