Chapter 2: Psychological Research Methods and Statistics "Researching Bullies"

Introduction
Students have read about the research methods psychologists use to answer behavioral questions. In this exercise, students will compare three studies that describe some of the scientific methods used in psychological research.

Lesson Description
Students will use information from the American Psychological Association News Release Web site to learn about three recent studies on bullying in middle schools. Students will read about the methods used in each of the studies, the questions asked by researchers, the sample groups studied, and the correlations and hypotheses generated. Students will then answer four questions and apply this information by creating their own survey to ask one of the three sample groups.

Instructional Objectives
1. Students will be able to describe the scientific methods employed in the research of specific behavioral questions.
2. Students will be able to use this knowledge to create their own survey of questions for a sample group.

Student Web Activity Answers
1. In the first study, the question asked was "How prevalent is bullying in middle school-aged children?" In the second study, the question was "Are teachers, peers, and the students themselves able to accurately identify bullying behavior?" The third study asked, "Why does bullying increase in middle school-aged children?"
2. The first study group included 558 students in a Midwestern middle school. The second study was of 83 sixth graders and an unidentified number of teachers and peers. The third group studied was 154 fifth grade students and their teachers.
3. Since such a large number of students participated in the first study, researchers used only surveys. The second study, which asked direct questions, used surveys as well. The third study was a longitudinal study, researchers studied the same group of children over the course of a year. This case study used surveys, interviews, naturalistic observation, and diaries. Since the researchers' purpose was to determine why bullying increased with age, a longitudinal study provided the opportunity to follow behavioral patterns over time.
4. The research suggested that some bullies may actually be victims of bullying and that teachers were unlikely to recognize victim behaviors. Further, the research indicated that bullying is more prevalent than previously believed. Future research could explore methods to identify bully-victims and methods of intervention to prevent bullying. Researchers found a correlation between bullying behavior and victimization. Additionally, researchers determined a correlation between early adolescence and increased aggression.
5. Students' surveys will vary.

Student Web Activity