PSY 285PSY 285

Research MethodsResearch Methods

*A Review**A Review*

To All Students…

• Research and Statistical Support– All notes available online indefinitely– E-mail me if you need to set up an

appointment for additional help related to analyses, design, or web-based research

• Applied Psychological Endeavors– Class announcements– Student activities that don’t make me puke

To “A” Students…

• Recommendations– Give me at least two weeks notice– Unofficial transcript, writing sample, meeting

• Research experience– Meeting to determine if lab projects will

facilitate growth

What I Hope You’ve Gained

• Greater skepticism of studies

• Improved appreciation for research

• Decreased fear of research

• Increased indignation over pre-scientific policies; lack of world-saving

• Greater interest in social involvement

• Improved ability to examine and plan studies; write reports

Science

• Science vs. Pseudoscience

• Goals of science

Ethics

• What problems will you likely face?

• Informed Consent

• Confidentiality

• Deception / Debriefing

Research Ideas

• Basic vs. Applied Research

Measurement

• Reliability– Test-retest– Alpha– Inter-rater

• Validity– Face– Content– Criterion– Construct

Statistics

• p-value

• What does it mean?

• What if p = .03? .64? .000?

Observations and Surveys

• What makes for a good observation?

• What are the keys to a good survey?

Correlations

• Range of values?

• Two factors that attenuate correlations?

• Effect size for…r = .36 r = -.57 r = .11 r = 1.08

• Why are correlations cool?

• What does R2 mean?

• Why use regression?

Experiments

• IV vs. DV

• Validity: Measurement, Conclusion, Internal, External

• Between- vs. Within- subject design

• Cohen’s d

• t-test vs. ANOVA

• Control groups

• Main effects vs. Interactions0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Rare Often

Frequency

Effectiveness

Obnoxious

Typical

Policy

• Why are we not acting to save the world?

• What are quasi-experimental designs?

• What is program evaluation?