RESEARCH METHODS IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

BASIC RESEARCH:
The goal in basic research is to simply increase knowledge about social behavior,
knowledge for knowledge’s sake. It doesn’t aim at solving a problem or finding a
solution. Its essential to have a good understanding of psychological processes
before trying to solve difficult social problems.
APPLIED RESEARCH:
It is designed to increase the understanding of and solutions to real world
problems by using current social psychological knowledge.

The knowledge gained through the work of basic researchers provides applied
researchers with a better understanding of how to solve specific social problems.
Likewise, when applied researchers fail to provide a solution, it’s a cue for the
basic researchers that they need to refine their theories to better reflect how
the social world operates.

STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH:

STEP 1: select a topic and review past research:
Ideas come from a wide variety of socurces, including existing theories, past
research, current social events, and personal experiences. A researcher needs to
gain knowledge about past research findings in their area of interest and recently
publ;ished studies and those reported at scientific meetings.
STEP 2: develop a theory and hypotheses:
once the research literature has been thoroughly studied, a theory and a
hypotheses that can be empirically tested is developed.
Hypothesis is a testable proposition that describes a relationship that may exist
between events, its an expectation about the nature of things derived from a
theory.
They serve several purposes:
• They allow us how to test a theory by suggesting how we might try to falsify
it.
• Like the theory, it gives specific direction to the research, it might
highlight or pinpoint ways which the scientist had never thought of.
• The predictive feature of good theories and good hypotheses, make them
practical and information gleaned from it can be applied.
The most important factor for the scientist if the theory can reliably predict
behavior. Secondly, the theory should have internal coherence. It shouldn’t have
illogical relationships, inconsistencies and uncalled for unexplained
coincidences. The theory should be economical. It just contains the concepts
needed to explain the phenomena in question.
STEP 3: select a scientific method and obtain approval to conduct the study.
Research can be conducted in the laboratory or in the field, and the social
psychologist can employ any of the research methods which is the most appropriate
for the study.
STEP 4: collect the data.
Social psycholigts use both qualitative and quantitative data. The three basic
techniques are self reports, direct obseravtions, and archival information.
STEP 5: analyze the data
Data can be analysed using either descriptive or inferential statistics, the
latter makes it possible to generalize the findings on general population.
Descriptive statistics merely summarizes and ecribes the behavior and
characteristics of the sample. Inferential stats move beyond mere description,
they are used to estiat ethe chance that the difference found inpeople studied
would also be found if the whole population participated in the study.
STEP 6: report the results
Every research is not published. A scientific journal will not publish an article
if there are flaws in the data analyses, there are loop holes in hypotheses, its
open ended, not clearly defined, problems with the research method etc, it might
be rejected if the reviewer thinks its not a very important research.

DESCRIPTIVE METHODS:
1. NATURALISTIC OBSERVATION: it’s a method in which the researcher observes the
specific behavior in its usual natural environment. Its an unobtrusive measure,
sometimes the observer is not physically present rather the behavior is recorded
on camera. These are every day behaviors as they occur naturally in natural
settings.
2. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION: a method whereby a group is studied from within by
a researcher who records behavior as it occurs in its usual natural environment.
Primary Advantage: provide opportunity to study behavior in its “wholeness”
Primary disadvantage: cannot determine how variables are related to one another.
3. ARCHIVAL RESEARCH: a method in which already existing records are studied
and examined.
Examination of systematic data originally collected for other purposes such as
arrest records or marriage licenses.
4. CASE STUDY METHOD: it’s an intensive examination of an individual or a
group. A researcher could study a completely normal individual or group, but often
selects a case because it represents some unusual pattern of behavior.
5. SURVEY METHOD: structured sets of questions or statements, given to a group
of people to measure their attitudes, beliefs, values, or behavioral tendencies.
a. Face to face surveys
b. Written surveys
c. Phone surveys

6. PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS: are instruments for assessing a person’s abilities,

cognitions, motivations or behaviors. College aptitude tests are designed to
distinguish people according to their ability to do well in college. Vocational
interest tests distinguish people in their interest and enjoyment of various
professions.
CORELLATIONAL RESEARCH METHODS: co relational research is designed to examine the
nature of the relationship between two or more naturally occurring variables,
which cannot be controlled by the researcher.
Primary advantage: prediction
Primary disadvantage: cannot establish causality

EXPERIMENTAL METHODS: research method designed to examine cause effect

relationship between variables.
Independent variable : the behavior which is manipulated.
Dependent variable: the variable which is dependent on the independent variable’s
manipulation, and it’s the variable which is measure by the experimentor.
1. field experiments: the manipulation of independent variables using un
knowing participants in natural settings. It’s the same a sthe laboratory
experiment, only in the first , the behavior is measured in a natural setting.
2. Laboratory experiments.

Primary Advantage: can determine causality

Primary disadvantage: high control can make generalization difficult.