Methods of Enquiry in Psychology
Goals of Psychological Enquiry
Psychological enquiry commonly aims to describe behaviour, explain relationships and causes, predict outcomes and understand or sometimes modify behaviour through appropriate interventions.
Scientific Research
A research process may involve identifying a problem, reviewing existing knowledge, formulating questions or hypotheses, selecting participants and methods, collecting data, analysing results and drawing conclusions.
Methods
Common methods include observation, experimental method, correlational research, survey, interview, case study and psychological testing. The method should match the research question.
Correlation and Causation
Correlation indicates an association between variables. It does not by itself establish that one variable causes another. An experiment can provide stronger evidence about causal relationships when variables are controlled appropriately.
Ethics
Psychological research should protect participants through informed consent, confidentiality, appropriate risk management, debriefing where necessary and responsible reporting.
Explained MCQs
- A correlation between study time and marks proves that study time causes higher marks. True or false?
Answer: False.
Explanation: Other factors such as prior knowledge, motivation or access to resources may influence both variables. Correlation alone cannot establish causation. - Why is informed consent important?
Answer: It respects participants’ autonomy by ensuring they understand relevant aspects of participation before agreeing.
Explanation: Ethical research treats participants as people with rights, not merely as sources of data.
Case Study
A researcher wants to know whether background music affects memory. Design a simple experiment by identifying the independent variable, dependent variable, control conditions and a suitable comparison group.
HOTS
Why might a case study provide rich information but still have limitations when researchers want to generalise findings to a large population?