Research method psychology

Observational Studies

Search for one human behavior–based observational study that is currently being conducted or that has been published since 2008. You may search for a study using the South University Online Library and the PsycINFO database. The steps to access PsycINFO are:

Click Library.
• Select Online Library.
• Click on the All Databases from the library homepage in the top blue navigation bar and scroll down to find PsycINFO

Submit a 1- to 2-page Microsoft Word document of the study. Include the name of the primary investigator, the title of the study, and the study objectives. Make sure you state the specific types of people being observed and the setting in which they are being observed. For example, people with Alzheimer’s disease when they are eating dinner in the nursing home’s dining room.

Use this study as the basis for a new study you create. Give your study a title and explain how you would apply each step of the scientific method to perform it. Discuss whether your study is basic or applied research and explain why.

Part two

This Week

Create the Introduction section of the research proposal. Include the following:

• Select a topic for your research project.
• Explain why this topic is of interest to you.
• Explain the topic and describe the potential research areas in the topic.

Choosing your topic:

The best way to choose a topic is to research the topic before you choose it.

One of the biggest challenges in finding articles for your topic is that your topic may not have much in the way of research. The remedy for this is, when you first have an idea for a topic, to go to the online library and do a quick search on current research for your topic. If you can find several articles on your topic, then you’re good to go. If you can’t, then it would be good to modify your topic a bit or even change it until you find one that will generate the needed articles for your reviews.

When searching for articles, scan first and read later:

You can speed up your article search if you focus mainly on three things.

• Look at the journal name—it may provide some insight into access to other articles. Many journals are specific to a certain discipline or area of study.
• Review the abstract first—the abstract will provide valuable information on what the article may hold. Remember though it doesn’t contain all the information. It is still imperative to read the entire article if you choose it as one of the ones you will use.

---