Planning and Conducting Research » Planning Research Considerations

What you'll learn this session

Study time: 30 minutes

The key considerations when planning psychological research
How to formulate research questions and hypotheses
Different sampling methods and their strengths and weaknesses
How to choose appropriate research designs
Ethical considerations in psychological research
Practical issues like time, resources and participant variables

Introduction to Planning Research in Psychology

Before psychologists can start collecting data, they need to carefully plan their research. Good planning helps ensure that the research will be valid, reliable and ethical. It's like planning a journey - you need to know where you're going, how you'll get there and what you'll need for the trip!

Key Definitions:

Research design: The overall plan for conducting research, including how participants will be selected and tested.
Variables: Things that can be measured and can change or vary (like mood, memory, or behaviour).
Hypothesis: A testable prediction about the relationship between variables.
Sampling: The method used to select participants for a study.

Research Questions and Hypotheses

All good research starts with a clear question. This helps researchers focus on exactly what they want to find out.

❓ Research Questions

These are broad questions that the research aims to answer. For example: "Does listening to music affect memory?"

💡 Hypotheses

These are specific, testable predictions. For example: "Participants who listen to classical music will recall more words than those who sit in silence."

Types of Hypotheses

There are two main types of hypotheses that psychologists use:

📊 Directional (One-tailed)

Predicts the specific direction of the relationship between variables.

Example: "Students who sleep for 8 hours will perform better on tests than students who sleep for 6 hours."

↔ Non-directional (Two-tailed)

Predicts that there will be a relationship, but doesn't specify the direction.

Example: "There will be a difference in test performance between students who sleep for 8 hours and students who sleep for 6 hours."

Sampling Methods

Sampling is how researchers decide who will take part in their study. The goal is usually to get a sample that represents the population they're interested in.

🎲 Random Sampling

Everyone in the population has an equal chance of being selected.

Strength: Reduces bias

Weakness: Can be time-consuming and difficult

👥 Opportunity Sampling

Using people who are available and willing to take part.

Strength: Quick and easy

Weakness: May not represent the population

🎯 Volunteer Sampling

Participants choose to take part by responding to adverts.

Strength: Participants are motivated

Weakness: Volunteer bias (certain types of people are more likely to volunteer)

Real Research Example

In Milgram's famous obedience study (1963), he used a newspaper advert to recruit male participants aged 20-50 from New Haven, Connecticut. This was a volunteer sample, which may have affected his results as certain personality types might be more likely to respond to such adverts.

Choosing a Research Design

The research design is like the blueprint for your study. There are several types to choose from, depending on what you want to find out:

🔬 Experimental

Tests cause and effect by manipulating variables.

When to use: When you want to establish causality

📄 Correlational

Looks for relationships between variables without manipulation.

When to use: When manipulation would be unethical or impossible

💭 Observational

Watches and records behaviour without intervention.

When to use: When studying natural behaviour

Experimental Designs

If you choose an experimental design, you'll need to decide between:

👤 Independent Groups

Different participants in each condition.

Advantage: No order effects

Disadvantage: Individual differences between groups

👥 Repeated Measures

Same participants in all conditions.

Advantage: Controls for individual differences

Disadvantage: Order effects possible

Ethical Considerations

Ethics are super important in psychological research. Researchers must ensure their studies don't harm participants physically or psychologically.

✅ Informed Consent

Participants must understand what they're agreeing to.

🔒 Confidentiality

Personal information must be kept private.

👍 Right to Withdraw

Participants can leave the study at any time.

Case Study: Ethical Issues

In Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment (1971), participants were not allowed to withdraw when they wanted to. The study had to be stopped early because of the psychological distress it caused. Today, this study would not be approved by ethics committees because it violated several ethical principles.

Practical Considerations

When planning research, psychologists also need to think about practical issues:

⌚ Time and Resources

Research takes time and money. Researchers need to consider:

How long will data collection take?
What equipment is needed?
Is funding available?

📖 Participant Variables

Factors that might affect results:

Age, gender, culture, education level
Time of day (tiredness)
Previous experiences

Pilot Studies

Before conducting the main research, psychologists often run a small-scale preliminary study called a pilot study.

✈ Benefits of Pilot Studies

Pilot studies help researchers:

Test their procedures and materials
Identify potential problems
Estimate how long the study will take
Check if instructions are clear
Practice using equipment

Planning in Action: Loftus and Palmer (1974)

In their famous eyewitness testimony study, Loftus and Palmer carefully planned their research to test how language affects memory. They:

Used an independent groups design with 5 conditions
Created a short film of a car accident as their stimulus
Developed specific questions that varied only in the verb used (smashed, collided, bumped, hit, contacted)
Measured speed estimates as their dependent variable
Used university students as participants (opportunity sample)

This careful planning allowed them to isolate the effect of the verb used on participants' memory of the event.

Summary: Steps in Planning Research

Identify a research question
Formulate a hypothesis
Choose a research design
Select a sampling method
Consider ethical implications
Address practical issues
Run a pilot study if possible
Refine your plan based on the pilot

Remember, good planning is the foundation of good research. Taking time to think through these considerations will help ensure your research is valid, reliable and ethical!

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