Axia College Material

Appendix B Research Methods Matrix

Phyllis Winn

A psychologist is planning to conduct a study that would examine pathological liars and the quality of their romantic relationships. You have been asked to provide the psychologist with a recommendation for which research method should be used to gather data on the pathological liars and their spouses. Using the table below list each research method and its advantages and disadvantages for use in this study.

Research Method
Naturalistic Observation Behavior is observed in the environment of which it occurs naturally.

Advantages
The behavior observed in everyday life is likely to be more natural, spontaneous, and varied than that observed in a laboratory.
Data can include behavior, beliefs, attitude, and opinions.

Disadvantages
Behavior has to be studied live or as it comes. You cannot plan on what you are learning. Observers must measure behavior in a systematic manner in order to be considered scientific. Observers bias opinion. Data is not strong enough to make predictions or explaining the causes of behavior.

BEH 225

Case Studies Behavior of one person or a few people is studied in depth.

Case studies use a combination of real-life observation, interviews, scores on psychological tests, and other measures. This allows a robust look at many pieces of the puzzle. Data can include behavior, beliefs, attitude, and opinions. Surveys generate a great deal of data. Surveys can be done at low cost. Surveys target the population you want to look at. Data can include behavior, beliefs, attitude, and opinions.

Observers bias opinion. Conclusions cannot be drawn from a single case. Data is not strong enough to make predictions or explaining the causes of behavior. There has to be an incentive for people to take time to complete a survey. Questions need to be clear in order to obtain good data. Garbage in garbage out. Data is not strong enough to make predictions or explaining the causes of behavior. Data does not explain cause and effect. Data is not always accurate. Questions have to be clear in order to obtain good data. Psycological variables (such as love and hate) do not

Surveys

A large number of participants are asked a specific set of questions...

Correlational Research
Research technique based on the naturally occurring relationship between two or more variables.

Experimental Research One or more variables are systematically manipulated, and the effect of that manipulation on other variables is studied.

Correlational research shows the impact of one variable on another or multiple variables. Example: What goes up must come down. Opportunity to select participants to prove or disprove a theory. Controlled environment to make specific adjustments/changes (manipulation). Experiments can be conducted without humans.

readily lend themselves to experimental manipulation. Experiments are conducted in an artificial setting. Participants, human or nonhuman, may behave differently than they would in real life.

Make your recommendation to the psychologist and explain the rationale behind your choice. Your response should be 100-200 words. My recommendation is correlation research. In order to understand the romantic relationships, I would want to study the relationship and the lies separately then in correlation to each other. The cause of the lies could be the structure of the romantic relationship. For example, partner A could feel threatened by partner B and therefore feels he/she has to lie to partner B to be safe. Partner A could be feeling threatened with no actual threats. Perception is very important as one persons perception is not necessarily anothers.

BEH 225

The lies may also be caused by an experience that happened long ago and has had a lasting impression on the individual who causes him/her to lie.

BEH 225