Psychological Science Chapter 1 Project Purpose You’ve learned about different r

Psychological Science
Chapter 1 Project
Purpose
You’ve learned about different research methods, and you’ve been introduced to experiments and correlations. Students often have a very difficult time understanding experiments and correlations and often confuse aspects of them. The purpose of this project is to help you to understand experiments and correlations, and to learn the difference between them.
You will need to have an understanding of experiments and correlations, as well as descriptive research methods, variables, and the other basics of psychological research methods. Feel free to go to outside, web-based resources if you want some more clarification on any of these things.
Directions
You will design two studies – one experimental and one correlational. You will not actually DO the studies. You will just develop them, which is going to take some creativity (which good researchers are full of). There are a couple of things to note as we begin:
Each study will use the same variables (whichever you choose)
Each study will intend to ask a question that could be somehow helpful to the average student’s life (e.g., in areas of school, work, relationships, health, etc.)
For each of the studies:
1. Identify your hypothesis
2. Identify your participants and explain what you are doing with your participants
3. Identify your operationally defined variables (two for each study)
4. Write a paragraph or two to describe all aspects of each study, right up to the point where you would actually do the study.
5. Imagine you did the studies and that your hypotheses were supported. Include a simple statement of what conclusion can be drawn from each study. Checklist
Experimental Study
. Hypothesis
. Participants (and what you’ll do with them)
. Independent & Dependent Variables
. Experimental & Control Conditions
. Study narrative (1-2 paragraphs)
. Simple Conclusion Statement
. Helpful to students?
Correlational Study
. Hypothesis
. Participants (and what you’ll do with them)
. Independent & Dependent Variables
. Study narrative (1-2 paragraphs)
. Simple Conclusion Statement
. Helpful to students?
Comparison
. Explain differences in findings from your studies (1 paragraph)
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