Research Methods Mtrix

Associate Level Material

Appendix B

Research Methods Matrix

A psychologist is planning to conduct a study that would examine pathological liars and the quality of their romantic relationships. You have been asked to provide the psychologist with a recommendation for which research method should be used to gather data on the pathological liars and their spouses.

Using the table below list each research method and its advantages and disadvantages for use in this study.

Research Method | Advantages | Disadvantages |

Naturalistic Observation- Behavior is observed in the environment in which it occurs naturally. | Provides a great deal of first hand behavioral information that is more likely to be accurate than reports after the fact. The participant’s behavior is more natural, spontaneous, and varied than behaviors taking place in the laboratory. A rich source of hypotheses as well. | The presence of an observer may alter the participants’ behavior; the observer’s recording of the behavior may reflect a preexisting bias; and it is often unclear whether the observations can be generalized to other settings and other people. |

Case Studies- Behavior of one person or a few people is studied in depth. | Yields a great deal of detailed descriptive information. Useful for forming hypotheses. | The case(s) studied may not be a representative sample. This method can be time consuming and expensive. Observer bias is a potential problem. |

Surveys- A large number of participants are asked a standard set of questions. | Enables an immense amount of data to be gathered quickly and inexpensively. | Sampling biases can skew results. Poorly constructed questions can result in answers that are ambiguous, so data are not clear. Accuracy depends on ability and willingness of participants to answer questions honestly. |

Correlational Research- This approach employs statistical methods to examine the relationship between two or more variables. | May clarify...