Research Methods - Understanding the Experiment

(*Please Note - I have diversified my work on Excelling Psychology into different blogs for better organization of content. I am continually working on the same, so these sites will be updated with more content soon.

CIE IGCSE Psychology learners may be interested in the following:

Model Answers on the following blog:

https://psychologymodelanswers.blogspot.com

References of studies for answer writing in a highly organized, detailed format:

https://psychologyreferencesummaries.blogspot.com)

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What are research methods?

The AS level introduces students to the most  basic designs used in research under the topic, 'Research Methods'.

In the last post, I explained what research is and why a person might want to undertake research. It is important to know that once (s)he has decided that the research question warrants effort, there are a number of different options (s)he has to practically carry out the research. Before understanding these options, it is important to know what a research method or research design refers to in general.

Think of it this way, if you wanted to furnish your room, would you just buy a sofa, a wardrobe, a bed, etc. and fit them wherever you could find the place; and throw away whatever did not fit in? Or would you first decide what you would like to place where, what kinds of textures and patterns you would like, what size of furniture would be best suitable, and then make purchases?

In the same way, a researcher would not want to haphazardly jump into research by recruiting some people, and arranging his material only to decide that most of it is useless when it comes to answering the research question. Only when the researcher can plan out efficiently i/e. with minimum possible error, what steps he needs to undertake to best answer his research question - can he meaningfully contribute to the field of Psychology.

A building without a strong base is nothing, and an investigation or study without a strong foundation is a waste of effort. That is why, knowing research methods is so crucial.

Remember, research leads to theories and theories to application:

We cannot afford to go wrong on the first step itself.

(Complete details of what the student is expected to do as concerns research methods at the AS level can be found on page 19 here.)

*Although all this preparation might seem too much before going into the actual research studies themselves, in reality, only a few minutes spend on this understanding will make the studies much easier to understand. Besides, there are specific questiCon as regards research methods which carry huge weightage in the examination.

What is an Experiment?

Our schools introduce us to experiments in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. An experiment in Psychology is not much different, with the exception that it involves people - their behaviors, feelings and thoughts - to be examined rather than objects or chemicals. Unfortunately, though most people have a working understanding of what an experiment is ("It is a study you perform in the laboratory."), they fail to see that the key feature of an experiment is its controlled setting.

Let's go back to the research question we took as an example previously, "How well can the four-day work week system be implemented in India?" I have several options to look for answers to this question:

• I could ask a few experienced people, say top-level managers of the country on how they think the system would work (roughly, a research method called interview)
• I could go into a rare organization that has already implemented the four-week work system and see how the system is working out (roughly, a research method called case study)
•  I could send out a questionnaire to people working in the above mentioned organization, asking them to share their experiences (roughly, a research method called self report)

The problem with these alternatives is that though they are good in their own respect, they lack control. This factor of control makes an experiment the best alternative when it comes to selecting a research design (see my post on 'Evaluating the Experiment')

What is control and why is it so important?

If I ask people to report their opinions or experiences, or if I simply observe what is happening in a setting, I literally cannot control (or manipulate) the working of the organization, even if I become an employee there. Why would I want to exert such control? Imagine, if I can ask two groups of people - one to work in a four-day work week, and another to work in a six-day work week system that I have set up, I can compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of the consequences of each system. As I do this, I would assure that both the groups are working for the same number of weeks, perform the same kind of work, work in the same type of organization, etc. This would make sure that one of the groups is not performing better than the other simply because of one of these factors (or controls) - say that the nature of work was more interesting for this group, and not because the system was a four-day work week or a six-day work week. This is what I could have not done using the other methods.

Besides, in the methods mentioned in the bullet points above, I am again, relying on very subjective opinions (either that of other people, or my own) to answer my question. However, when I use an experiment for my investigation, I am required to specify exactly what performance will tell me that that a group is performing 'well'. I use what is known as an operational definition to determine my answers. What is an operational definition? What are IVs and DVs? What are variables in the first place? And what is the difference between a laboratory, field and natural (or quasi) experiment? All these are the concepts that need to be crystal clear in the student's mind before (s)he moves to advanced topics like evaluating or applying experimental designs.

Now, it wasn't difficult to understand what an experiment is. Neither is it difficult to understand any of the other research methods. Let's do a quick revision:

• Research methods or designs are the foundation of quality investigation.
• A correctly chosen research design will lead to accurate answers to research questions.
• An experiment is an investigation that takes place under controlled settings.
• There are factors other than those belonging to the research question that can influence results obtained. Such factors are kept in check in an experiment, and are therefore called. controls.
• Experiments rely on operational definitions of variables rather than opinions and observations to bring about results, and are therefore considered superior to other methods of research.

 As a student, what should be my main focus for the exam for this topic?

Strictly taking an examination point-of-view, after going through this topic completely, you should be able to identify an experiment and its components. Sample questions from papers - I and II that this topic can help you answer are:
'Identify the dependent variable in xyz experiment.'
'Describe one aim from the xyz study.'
'State the hypothesis of the xyz study.'
'Explain why controls must be maintained in research.'

(You can go through specimen papers for the AS syllabus here.)

Examples of quick pointers to know that a study is an experiment (and to justify your answers) are:

• The study is conducted in a laboratory or laboratory-like controlled setting.
• The researchers have given tasks to be performed to the participants (the participants are not already performing something that the researchers are just seeing).
• The researchers have kept many factors in check to see that they do not influence results.
• The researchers are using specific techniques to measure how the participants are performing in the study (and not just seeing or noting)

 You can literally ask yourself these questions while reading a study. For example:

• Where was the study conducted?
• What did the participants do in this study?
• What did the researchers do to prevent other factors from affecting their results?
• How did the researchers know what outcome the study brought about?

Once you are familiar with all the research designs, you can very quickly answer these questions and know instantly what kind of a study has been presented to you.

Examples of quick pointers to identify the components of an experiment are:

• A control is a factor that could have influenced the results of an experiment, but has been kept in check by the researchers.
• An operational definition tells us the behaviour we will look out for to know how the participant has performed in the experiment.

Again,  you can ask yourself questions to find these components in a study:

• What factors could have influenced results besides those defined in the research question?
• How did the researchers measure the performance of the participants in this study?

P.S. The language I have used above is for understanding only. Definitions of experiment, controls, operational definition, etc. must be presented in formal language in the examination paper. (For example, an experiment is a scientific study used test a hypothesis. My intention is to first make sure the student is clear in his/her mind about what (s)he is studying. Once that is done, remembering formal definitions is no big task. Besides, remembering definitions helps the student only to answer a negligible fraction of questions asked in the AS examinations.