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Methods of Enquiry in Psychology.PMD 22 Psychology You have read in the first chapter that psychology is the study of experiences, behaviours, and mental processes. You may now be curious to know how psychologists study these phenomena. In other words, what methods are used to study behaviour and mental processes? Like all scientists, psychologists seek to describe, predict, explain and control what they study. For this, psychologists rely on formal, systematic observations to address their questions. It is the methodology that makes psychology a scientific endeavour. Psychologists use a variety of research methods because questions about human behaviour are numerous and all of them cannot be studied by a single method. Methods such as observation, experimental, correlational research, survey, psychological testing and case study are more frequently used to study the problems of psychology. This chapter will familiarise you with the goals of psychological enquiry, the nature of information or data that we collect in psychological studies, the diverse range of methodological devices available for the study of psychology, and some important issues related to psychological studies. Prediction : The second goal of scientific GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ENQUIRY enquiry is prediction of behaviour. If you are Like any scientific research, psychological able to understand and describe the behaviour enquiry has the following goals: description, accurately, you come to know the relationship prediction, explanation, and control of of a particular behaviour with other types of behaviour, and application of knowledge so behaviours, events, or phenomena. You can generated, in an objective manner. Let us try then forecast that under certain conditions to understand the meaning of these terms. this particular behaviour may occur within a certain margin of error. For example, on the Description : In a psychological study, we basis of study, a researcher is able to establish attempt to describe a behaviour or a a positive relationship between the amount of phenomenon as accurately as possible. This study time and achievement in different helps in distinguishing a particular behaviour subjects. Later, if you come to know that a from other behaviours. For example, the particular child devotes more time for study, researcher may be interested in observing you can predict that the child is likely to get study habits among students. Study habits good marks in the examination. Prediction may consist of diverse range of behaviours, becomes more accurate with the increase in such as attending all your classes regularly, the number of persons observed. submitting assignments on time, planning your study schedule, studying according to Explanation : The third goal of psychological the set schedule, revising your work on a daily enquiry is to know the causal factors or basis etc. Within a particular category there determinants of behaviour. Psychologists are may be further minute descriptions. The primarily interested in knowing the factors researcher needs to describe her/his meaning that make behaviour occur. Also, what are the of study habits. The description requires conditions under which a particular behaviour recording of a particular behaviour which does not occur. For example, what makes helps in its proper understanding. some children more attentive in the class? Why 23 Chapter 2 • Methods of Enquiry in Psychology some children devote less time for study as increase efficiency. Scientific enquiry is also compared to others? Thus, this goal is conducted to develop new theories or concerned with identifying the determinants constructs, which leads to further research. or antecedent conditions (i.e. conditions that led to the particular behaviour) of the Steps in Conducting Scientific Research behaviour being studied so that cause-effect Science is not so defined by what it relationship between two variables (objects) or investigates as by how it investigates. The events could be established. scientific method attempts to study a Control : If you are able to explain why a particular event or phenomenon in an particular behaviour occurs, you can control objective, systematic, and testable manner. that behaviour by making changes in its The objectivity refers to the fact that if two antecedent conditions. Control refers to three or more persons independently study a things: making a particular behaviour happen, particular event, both of them, to a great reducing it, or enhancing it. For example, you extent, should arrive at the same conclusion. can allow the number of hours devoted to For instance, if you and your friend measure study to be the same, or you can reduce them the length of a table using the same measuring or there may be an increase in the study hours. device, it is likely that both of you would arrive The change brought about in behaviour by at the same conclusion about its length. psychological treatment in terms of therapy The second characteristic of scientific in persons, is a good example of control. research is that it follows systematic procedure or steps of investigation. It includes Application : The final goal of the scientific the following steps: conceptualisation of a enquiry is to bring out positive changes in the problem, collection of data, drawing lives of people. Psychological research is conclusions, and revising research conclusions conducted to solve problems in various and theory (see Fig.2.1). Let us discuss these settings. Because of these efforts the quality steps in some detail. of life of people is a major concern of psychologists. For example, applications of (1) Conceptualising a Problem : The process yoga and meditation help to reduce stress and of scientific research begins when a researcher 1 2 Conceptualising a Problem Collecting Data Selecting a topic for study Participants, methods, tools and procedure 4 3 Revising Research Conclusions Drawing Conclusions Restating existing hypothesis/ Using statistical methods formulating revised or a new theory Fig.2.1 : Steps in Conducting Scientific Enquiry 24 Psychology 2021-22 selects a theme or topic for study. Then s/he on television, higher is the degree of aggression narrows down the focus and develops specific displayed by them’. In your research, you shall research questions or problems for the study. now try to prove whether the statement is true This is done on the basis of review of past or false. research, observations, and personal experiences. For example, earlier you read that (2) Collecting Data : The second step in a researcher was interested in observing the scientific research is to collect data. Data study habits of students. For this purpose, collection requires developing a research s/he may identify different facets of study design or a blueprint of the entire study. It habits first, and then decide whether s/he is requires taking decisions about the following interested in study habits shown in the class four aspects: (a) participants in the study, or at home. (b) methods of data collection, (c) tools to be In psychology we study a diverse range of used in research, and (d) procedure for data problems related to behaviour and collection. Depending upon the nature of the experiences. These problems may be related study, the researcher has to decide who would to (a) understanding our own behaviour (for be the participants (or informants) in the example, how do I feel and behave when I am study. The participants could be children, in a state of joy or grief? How do we reflect on adolescents, college students, teachers, our own experiences and behaviour? Why do managers, clinical patients, industrial workers, or any group of individuals in whom/ we forget?); (b) understanding other where the phenomenon under investigation individual’s behaviour (for example, Is Abhinav is prevalent. The second decision is related to more intelligent than Ankur? Why is someone the use of methods of data collection, such as always not able to complete her or his work on observation method, experimental method, time? Can the habit of smoking be controlled? correlational method, case study, etc. The Why do some people suffering from chronic researcher needs to decide about appropriate illness not take medicines?); (c) group tools (for example, interview schedule, influences on individual behaviour (for observation schedule, questionnaire, etc.) for example, why does Rahim spend more time data collection. The researcher also decides meeting with people than doing his work?, about how the tools need to be administered Why does a cyclist perform better when cycling to collect data (i.e. individual or group). This before a group of persons than when cycling is followed by actual collection of data. alone?); (d) group behaviour (for example, why does risk-taking behaviour increase when (3) Drawing Conclusions : The next step is to people are in a group?), and (e) organisational analyse data so collected through the use of level (for example, why are some organisations statistical procedures to understand what the more successful than others? How can an data mean. This can be achieved through employer increase the motivation of graphical representations (such as preparation employees?). The list is long and you will learn of pie-chart, bar-diagram, cumulative about these various facets in subsequent frequencies, etc.) and by the use of different chapters. If you are inquisitive, you can write statistical methods. The purpose of analysis down a number of problems which you may is to verify a hypothesis and draw conclusions like to probe. accordingly. After identification of the problem, the researcher proceeds by developing a tentative (4) Revising Research Conclusions : The answer of the problem, which is called researcher may have begun the study with a hypothesis. For example, based on the earlier hypothesis that there exists a relationship evidence or your observation, you might between viewing violence on television and develop a hypothesis ‘greater is the amount aggression among children. S/he has to see of time spent by children in viewing violence whether the conclusions support this 25 Chapter 2 • Methods of Enquiry in Psychology 2021-22 hypothesis.
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