Explain the basic steps and methods of research in psychology.

Explain the basic steps and methods of research in psychology.

The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. Research process is similar to undertaking a journey with specific mission. Before starting the journey we decide where you want to go and which route to follow. If the route is known to you don’t need anybody guidance but if there are more than one route towards destination than you have to decide which route is most suitable to reach the destination. Now you look upon the research process in this context. Your first decision would be ‘what you want to find out about ‘or in other words what research question to be answered to. After deciding the research question or problem you should now decide ‘how to go about finding there answers’.

RESEARCH PROCESS

The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. The goal of the research is to find the truth and to use a scientific method that results in a reasonable and sound answers to important questions that will further our understanding of human behaviour. Research process consists of series of actions and steps needed for conducting scientific research.The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. If the researcher follows certain steps in conducting the research, the work can be carried smoothly with least difficulty. The proposed flow chart given below illustrates the research process: The research process consists of a number of closely related activities as shown through step I to step X, but such activities overlap continuously rather than following strictly prescribed sequence. The order of various steps shown provides a useful procedural guidelines regarding research process. Details of each of the research stages is given underneath. 

Identification of the Problem The first and most important step for identifying a problem is asking a question or identifying a need that arises as a result of curiosity and to which it becomes necessary to find an answer.

The psychological studies are focused on one or many of the following kinds of questions:

l What are the events that cause or determine a given behaviour or response?

l What is the nature of behaviour or action (i.e., its structure) and how it is linked with other actions and behaviours?

l What are the relationships of internal psychological processes with behavioural phenomenon?

 

The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. For identifying a good solvable problem, the investigator undertakes the review of literature. A body of prior work related to a research problem is referred to as literature. Scientific research includes a review of the relevant literature. When a researcher reviews the previous researches in related fields, he becomes familiar with several known and unknown phenomena. Therefore one obvious advantage of review of the literature is that it helps to eliminate duplication of what has already been done and provides guidance and suggestions for further research. The main purpose of review of the literature is fourfold:

a) It gives an idea about the variables which have been found to be conceptually and practically important and unimportant in the related field. Thus the review of literature helps in discovering and selecting variables relevant for the given study.

b) The literature provides an estimate of the previous work and provides an opportunity for the meaningful extension of the previous work.

c) A review of literature helps the researcher in systematically compiling the expanding and growing body of knowledge.

d) Review also facilitates in drawing useful conclusions regarding the variables under study and provides a meaningful way of their subsequent applications.

e) A review of the literature also helps in redefining the variables and determining the meanings and relationships among them so that the researcher can build up a case as well as a context for further investigation that has merit and applicability.

 

IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY

The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. Importance and relevance of psychological research is well recognised almost in every sphere of human life. Notable progress has been reported in the field of organisational behaviour, applied aspects of human being, medical sciences and education, through application of psychological research findings. Empirical and theoretical researches in psychology are taking place in various fields, such as learning, motivation, perception, concept learning and memory and so on. In the quest of psychological facts, laws and theories, psychologists have found research studies very helpful in gauging human and animal behaviour.

Practical gains of psychological research are many, yet include discoveries such as improved methods of treating psychologically disordered people, better designs of vehicles to make them easier and safe to use, and new ways of enhancing the performance and happiness of workers. In psychological researches experimental methods are widely used. The basic steps and methods of research in psychology. Therefore, nature of majority of psychological researches is highly scientific. Psychological researches have successfully led to control and manipulation of the variables associated with widely used generic and comparative methods.

Psychologists have developed such effective experimental designs that that they have helped to isolate effect of other variables from independent variables. In psychological researches, rigorous scientific norms and statistical methods are applied in collection, organisation, description and analysis of the data. By turning psychological facts into quantitative form, the nature of most of the psychological researches remains method oriented (scientific).

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post