Ch 3: Research Methods & the Study of Gerontology

1. What is Research? - Definition, Purpose & Typical Researchers

Psychological research helps to shape our society - from the way we raise our children to the way we treat our criminals and military enemies. But what is research and who conducts it? This lesson explores the purposes of research in psychology and the individuals who observe, record, and alter our behavior.

2. How to Produce High-Quality Research

Psychology is a science that requires high quality research due to the inherent complexity of human thoughts, behaviors and emotions. One way to go about producing high quality research is to follow certain guidelines that all true sciences follow.

3. Nonscientific and Scientific Research: Definitions and Differences

Explore the way people 'know' information without using a scientific methodology. Have you ever fallen for nonscientific research and then presented it as fact?

4. Psychological Research Tools: Observation, Measurement & Experimentation

What are the primary ways a psychologist goes about conducting research? In this lesson, we will look at the three main ways a researcher can go about learning something, as well as some of the more famous psychological research that has used these techniques.

5. Non-Experimental and Experimental Research: Differences, Advantages & Disadvantages

How is a non-experimental design scientific? We will look at what it means to use experimental and non-experimental designs in the course of psychological research. We will also look at some classic examples of different types of research.

6. Research Methodologies: Quantitative, Qualitative & Mixed Method

While there are many ways to conduct an experiment in psychology, there are only so many ways you can describe it. In this lesson, we will discuss the differences, strengths, and weaknesses of the qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods.

7. Basic Research and Applied Research: Definitions and Differences

In this lesson, we look at the difference between basic and applied psychological research and discover why there is a separation. Through examples, we'll answer the questions, 'What is the purpose of research if it doesn't apply to the real world?' and 'How are the two interrelated?'

8. Purposes of Research: Exploratory, Descriptive & Explanatory

There is a parallel between how people come to understand something and the process of researching an idea. This lesson explores the purposes of research as well as three approaches to research in psychology: exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory.

9. The Importance of Measurement in the Research Process

Why is it important to measure variables in a study? And, how do you go about doing it? In this lesson, we'll examine the importance of measurement, along with some common types of psychological measurement.

10. The Difference Between Qualitative & Quantitative Measurement

In research, there are generally two types of data. In this lesson, we'll look at quantitative and qualitative measurement, when each are used, and how researchers can sometimes use both.

11. Measurement Approaches in Adult Development & Aging Research: Definition, Approaches & Examples

This lesson will explore two common ways in which a researcher could measure changes in middle aged and older adults. In addition, a common tactic to ensure results are valid is also discussed.

12. The Building Blocks of Adult Development & Aging Research: Age, Cohort & Time of Measurement

This lesson explores some of the fundamental building blocks of designing a research study that has to do with how people change over time. This lesson examines ways a researcher can parse out the difference between group changes and changes over time.

13. An Overview of Qualitative Research

Sometimes, a research study does not have results made up of numbers. In this lesson, we'll look at qualitative research, compare it to quantitative research and examine some of its strengths and limitations.

14. What is Qualitative Research? - Definition, Sources & Examples

Sometimes research does not involve simple numbers that you can analyze. When that happens, where do researchers get their data? In this lesson, we'll look at qualitative data and the major sources of it.

15. Correlational Research: Definition, Purpose & Examples

This lesson explores, with the help of two examples, the basic idea of what a correlation is, the general purpose of using correlational research, and how a researcher might use it in a study.

16. Longitudinal Designs: Definition & Examples

This lesson discusses the uses and procedures in running a longitudinal design. In addition, we also explore some of the benefits and issues that can occur when using such a design.

17. Cross-Sectional Designs: Definition & Examples

This lesson explores the process and requirements in using a cross-sectional design. Two examples are used, one common and one uncommon, to demonstrate how cross-sectional designs can be used in quasi-experiments.

18. Cross-sectional, Longitudinal & Sequential Designs: Advantages & Disadvantages

This lesson examines the three main ways of conducting research on adults and older individuals. Specifically, we will examine the three types, some of their advantages, and some of their disadvantages.