Psychologists learn what they do not know by carefully and systematically
collecting information. Chapter 2 discusses the different methods
that psychologists use to study issues and explores some of
the problems in conducting research.
Section 1 discusses how psychologists must first decide
how to approach a research issue. Then researchers use correlation
studies, case studies, surveys, naturalistic observation,
and experimentation to obtain information. Ethical principles
govern their research.
Section 2 explores the problems in gathering data
that psychologists must recognize and resolve. Psychologists'
attitudes and reactions may influence the results of studies,
and so certain methods, such as the single-blind and double-blind
techniques and placebos, are used to avoid the self-fulfilling
prophecy in a study.
Section 3 describes the methods that psychologists
use to interpret the results of their research. Psychologists
can use statistics, a branch of mathematics, to support their
hypotheses when meaningful data is evaluated correctly. Descriptive
statistics include distributions of data, measures of central
tendency, measures of variance, and correlation coefficients.
Inferential statistics are used to make generalizations about
the population from which the experiment participants come.
