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Research Methods in Psychology
Modern psychology is research-based. This means that
psychological knowledge and theory should be justified on
the basis of studies using recognized scientific methods.
Research has three important aspects:
- Empirical, where the researcher conducts
concrete studies to gain new knowledge and / or to test
existing knowledge
- Theoretically, where the researcher links
empirical findings into a larger whole for the purpose
of explanation and understanding
- Practical, where the researcher applies
research-based knowledge and theory for example in
treatment and prevention
For example, research on depression will involve concrete
investigations of how depression behaves (empirically),
attempts to put findings from such studies into a larger
context (theoretical), and application of knowledge in
measures to remedy or prevent depression (practical).
Research is a continuous process in which researchers
around the world contribute. Communication between
scientists is therefore crucial. Such communication
typically occurs through scientific journals and books with
so-called peer review (English: peer review). This
ensures quality assurance of the knowledge that is
published. Published articles and books are compiled into
easily accessible databases, which are an invaluable tool
for researchers. Perhaps the most important database is
PsycINFO, which contains more than 3.5 million summaries of
articles and books published in the field of psychology.
Qualitative and quantitative approaches
Research methods in psychology can be quantitative and /
or qualitative.
- Quantitative surveys provide results that
can be measured in numbers, such as scores on
questionnaire surveys and tests.
- Qualitative surveys provide verbal
descriptions and narratives, and can be collected in,
for example, interviews.
In studies of depression, the researcher will be able to
use both of these approaches: Depressed people can perform
tests that provide scores (quantitative data), while
interviews and interviews can provide information on how
they feel depressed (qualitative data).
In practice, quantitative research is based on a prior
qualitative analysis, not least in terms of concepts. Often,
these approaches will complement each other.
Studies that use both quantitative and qualitative
methodology in the same study are called mixed methods research.
Research Design
The researcher can choose different ways or strategies
for conducting the research. This is often referred to as design. In
essence, such strategies can be divided into three groups:
descriptive, relational, and experimental.
- In descriptive studies, the researcher will
observe and map a phenomenon (for example, depression),
provide definitions and criteria, and say something
about how widespread the phenomenon is.
- In relational studies, two or more
phenomena are seen in context (what is the relationship
between depression and darkness?)
- In experimental studies, the researcher is
actively manipulating factors to see if this is
effective (does it have any effect to use daylight in
the winter to prevent darkness depression?).
Different methods
Within the various research strategies (design) mentioned
above, different methods can be used. Important examples
are observation, questionnaire, psychological
tests and interview. Often, the researcher
will use special apparatus to record and measure behavior,
such as reaction time.
Various biological goals have been increasingly used in
psychological research. Examples are eye movements,
electrical activity in the brain (EEG) and blood flow in the
brain (fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging). |
| Rankings |
Psychology Programs |
Departments and Schools |
| 1 |
Harvard University
Address: William James Hall, Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-3810
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k3007&pageid=icb.page19815 |
Department of Psychology |
| 2 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Address: 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Phone: (617) 253-7403
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://web.mit.edu/bcs/academics/grad.shtml |
Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences |
| 3 |
Boston University
Address: 64 Cummington Street, Boston, MA 02215
Phone: (617) 353-2580
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bu.edu/psych/ |
Department of Psychology |
| 4 |
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Address: 135 Hicks Way, Amherst, MA 01003-7710
Phone: (413) 545-2503
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://euryale.sbs.umass.edu/PsychWeb/Grad/index.html |
Department of Psychology |
| 5 |
Boston College
Address: 301 McGuinn Hall, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3807
Phone: (617) 552-4100
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/psych/graduate.html |
Department of Psychology |
| 6 |
Tufts University
Address: 490 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155
Phone: (617) 627-3523
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://ase.tufts.edu/psychology/grad.htm |
Department of Psychology |
| 7 |
Brandeis University
Address: MS 062 , Waltham, MA 02454-9110
Phone: (781) 736-3300
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.brandeis.edu/departments/psych/grad.html |
Department of Psychology |
| 8 |
Northeastern University
Address: 125 Nightingale Hall, Boston, MA 02115
Phone: (617) 373-3076
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.psych.neu.edu/academics/graduate.html |
Department of Psychology |
| 9 |
Clark University
Address: 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610-1477
Phone: (508) 793-7274
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.clarku.edu/departments/psychology/ |
Department of Psychology |
| 10 |
University of Massachusetts - Boston
Address: 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125
Phone: (617) 287-6350
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.umb.edu/academics/cla/dept/psychology/gradprogram.html |
Department of Psychology |
| 11 |
Suffolk University
Address: 41 Temple Street , Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 573-8293
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.cas.suffolk.edu/college/7093.html |
Department of Psychology |
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