As you study psychology, it is important to realize that it is a behavioral science and psychologists follow specific guidelines for conducting research

Instruction Details

As you study psychology, it is important to realize that it is a behavioral science and psychologists follow specific guidelines for conducting research. Research designs are not all alike, and methods vary based on the nature of the study and the research questions you are asking. What method would best answer your research questions? You can learn a lot about research designs by closely examining how psychologists plan and implement their studies. For this Discussion, you will participate in a study and then analyze it to increase your understanding of research designs.

To prepare:

• Read the Discussion post requirements carefully before participating in the study. Understanding these requirements prior to completing the study will help you complete the assignment successfully.
• Read Chapter 1 from the course text, with particular attention to research designs and the approaches to studying behavior.
• Go to the Social Psychology Network website link at http://www.socialpsychology.org/expts.htm. Click on a topic that interests you in either professional research or student research. Click on several studies, and then choose a research study in which to participate. Studies will vary in type and length, and you may find a few that have been closed to participants.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 3:

1. Provide a brief description (fewer than 50 words) of the study in which you participated. Include the title of the study, the research topic, and what you were asked to do as a participant. Note: Include the study title or topic in the “Subject” field of your post (e.g., Test Anxiety).
2. Identify whether the research is basic or applied. Explain how you came to this conclusion.
3. Provide an explanation of the strengths and limitations of the study.

Note: Be sure to support the responses within your Discussion post, and in your colleague reply, with evidence from the assigned Learning Resources.

Related Questions

Question 1

Summarize Shanahan’s blog post, should students memorize sight words and reflect on the topic by discussing the implications for early childhood reading instruction and include how one might use this in their future professional practice  Find the link to the blog post below:

https://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/blog/should-i-teach-students-to-memorize-sight-words-and-monitor-their-progress

Question 2

Application: Ethics: Do No Harm

Whenever psychologists conduct research they need to ensure that people who participate in the study are not harmed. Only in exceptional cases, causing minimal harm to the participants—in the form of deception—is permitted to maintain the integrity and the validity of such studies. Researchers in psychology follow the standards identified in the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code to protect the rights and welfare of research participants. All psychologists (including students) need to follow the APA guidelines for ethical behavior while conducting research. You will read more about the codes of ethics in this week’s Learning Resources.

You may wonder, “How do I know if I am going to end up harming my participants inadvertently?” You are right in your apprehension. That is why there are checks and balances in place for conducting psychological research. Prior to conducting any research, the proposed study is reviewed to determine if it meets ethical standards. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) are committees that meet to review psychological research to protect the rights and welfare of human participants and animal subjects, and to determine the possible benefits and risks of a proposed research project. There are three main types of risk in psychological research: the risk of physical injury, psychological injury, and social injury. The IRB provides guidelines on how to minimize the study’s risk.

An effective way to develop your research skills is to analyze sample studies. For this Assignment, you will review brief research descriptions, address ethical issues in them, and apply alternative research methods to resolve them.

To prepare:

• Review Chapter 3 from the course text.

The Assignment (2 pages):

• Select two of the following four research studies:
  1. A researcher was studying initial interactions between people. While two students were supposedly waiting for an experiment to begin, the researcher covertly videotaped their actions and conversation. The researcher then told them about the research and gave them the opportunity to have the tape erased.
  2. A researcher worked for a time on the production line of a large manufacturing plant. His status as a researcher was unknown to his co-workers. It was not until he was about to leave that he revealed his purpose and identity to others.
  3. To study what types of people are most likely to give money to a stranger, people on city streets were asked for money by an individual who said he had just lost his wallet. No one was ever told that he or she was part of a research project.
  4. To study the effects of alcohol on decision making, a graduate student interviewed college students after they had left a campus bar. With a portable breathalyzer, he registered their blood alcohol level. Although some of them were found to be intoxicated beyond the legal state limits, and many of them were going to be driving home, he did not inform them of their blood alcohol levels.
• For both studies selected, do the following:
  • Explain whether or not the research is ethical and how the study may have violated principles of ethical behavior.
  • Explain what, if any, alternative research methods might have been used.
  • If you do not believe there are any alternative methods, explain why that is the case.
• Note: Do not copy or retype the examples into your paper; instead, refer to them by their corresponding number. Provide a reference list for those resources you may have used that are not included in the Learning Resources for this course.

Question 3

Assignment: Ethics: Do No HarmResearchers in psychology (including students) must follow the American Psychological Association’s (APA’s) Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2010) to protect the rights and welfare of research participants and ensure no harm will come to them. Furthermore, an Institutional Review Board (IRB) committee must review and approve all research studies involving humans and/or animals before they begin. It is the IRB committee’s responsibility to evaluate proposed research studies per the APA’s ethical principles and codes of conduct as well as to assess the possible benefits and risks of the studies.

An effective way to develop your research skills is to analyze sample studies. For this Assignment, you will review brief research descriptions, identify and address ethical issues, and apply an alternative research methodology.

To prepare:

• Review again Chapter 1 from the course text.
• Read Chapter 3 from the course text.
• Read the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct: Including 2010 Amendments.

The Assignment (1–2 pages):

Select one of the following four research studies:

1. A researcher was studying initial interactions between people. While two students were supposedly waiting for an experiment to begin, the researcher covertly videotaped their actions and conversation. Afterward, the researcher told the students about the video recording and gave them the opportunity to have the tape erased.
2. A researcher worked for a time on the production line of a large manufacturing plant. His status as a researcher was unknown to his coworkers. It was not until he was about to leave that he revealed his purpose and identity to his coworkers.
3. To study what types of people are most likely to give money to a stranger, people on city streets were asked for money by an individual who said he had just lost his wallet. No one was ever told that he or she was part of a research project.
4. To study the effects of alcohol on decision making, a graduate student interviewed college students after they had left a campus bar. With a portable breathalyzer, he registered their blood alcohol levels. Although some of them were found to be intoxicated beyond the legal state limits, and many of them were going to be driving home, he did not inform them of their blood alcohol levels.

Complete the following for the study you selected (rather than reproduce the scenario in your response, indicate your study selection with a number):

1. Explain the ethical issues and how the study may have violated principles of ethical behavior.
2. Propose an alternative research design from the assigned Learning Resources that could possibly remedy the identified issues, (e.g., naturalistic observation, simulation study), and explain in detail how the new design would be set up and carried out.
3. Reminder: Do not copy or retype the example study scenario into your Assignment.

Note: Support the responses within your Assignment with evidence from the assigned Learning Resources. Provide a reference list for resources you used for this Assignment.

Submit your Assignment by Day