CHAPTER 2

RESEARCH METHODS IN I/O PSYCHOLOGY

THE EMPIRICAL RESEARCH PROCESS

Design of the
Statement of Measurement Analysis of Conclusions
research
the problem of variables data from research
study

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 Based on existing knowledge – your own and others’ experiences with the problem, personal
intuition or insight, or a theory.
 Theory – a statement that proposes to explain relationships among the phenomena.
 Inductive method – a research process in which conclusions are drawn about a general class of
objects or people based on a knowledge of a specific member of the class under investigation.
 Deductive method - a research process in which conclusions are drawn about a specific class of
objects or people based on a knowledge of a general member of the class under investigation.

DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH STUDY

 Research design – a plan for conducting scientific research for the purpose of learning about a
phenomenon of interest.
 Internal validity – the degree to which the relationships evidenced among variables in a particular
research study are accurate or true.
 External validity – the degree to which the relationships evidenced among variables in a
particular research study are generalizable or accurate in other contexts.
 Dimensions of Research Strategies
- Naturalness of the Research Setting
- Degree of Control
 Primary research methods
- A class of research methods that generates new information on a particular research question.

Types of Primary Research Method

1. Laboratory Experiment – the investigator manipulates independent variables and assign
subjects to experimental and control conditions.
2. Quasi-experiment – a type of a research method for conducting studies in field situations where
the researcher may be able to manipulate some independent variable.
 3. Questionnaire – subjects respond to written questions posed by the researcher
4. Observation – the researcher observes subjects for the purpose of understanding their behavior
and culture.
 Secondary research methods
- A class of research methods that examines existing information from research studies that used
primary methods.
Meta-analysis – a quantitative secondary research method summarizing and integrating the
findings from original empirical research studies.
 Qualitative research
- A class of research methods in which the investigator takes an active role in interacting with the
subjects of the study.
Types of Qualitative Research
1. Ethnography – a research method that utilizes field observation to study a society’s culture.
2. Emic – an approach to researching phenomena that emphasizes knowledge derived from the
participants’ awareness and understanding of their own culture.
3. Etic – an approach to researching phenomena that emphasizes knowledge derived from the
perspective of a detached objective investigator in understanding a culture.

MEASUREMENT OF VARIABLES
 Independent variables – are those that can be manipulated to influence the values of the
dependent variable.
 Dependent variable – variables that are influenced by the independent variable.
 Predictor variable – used to predict or forecast a criterion variable.
 Criterion variable – a primary object of a research study
ANALYSIS OF DATA
 Descriptive statistics – a class of statistical analyses that describe the variables under
investigation.
 Inferential statistics – a statistical procedure that use sample results to draw conclusions and make
prediction.
ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH
 Five Rights that are specified in the APA Code of Ethics
1. Right to informed consent
2. Right to privacy
3. Right to confidentiality
4. Right to protection from deception
5. Right to debriefing
The PAP Code of Ethics Article X (Research) covers these in the Philippines
The PAP Code of Ethics Article X, Section A (Research)
 4. We respect the rights of research participants should they wish to discontinue their participation at
any time. We are responsive all throughout the research to participants’ non-verbal indications of a
desire to withdraw from participation, especially if the person has difficulty with verbal
communication, is a young child, or is culturally unlikely to communicate.
5. We do not contribute nor engage in research which contravenes international humanitarian law,
such as development of methods intended to torture persons, development of prohibited weapons,
or destruction of the environment.
The PAP Code of Ethics Article X, Section A (Research)
1. In all aspects, we respect the rights, safeguard the dignity, and protect and promote the welfare of
research participants.
2. Before beginning any research work in a community not our own or not familiar to us, we obtain
essential information about their mores, culture, social structure, customs, and traditions.
3. We respect and abide by their cultural expectations, provided that this does not contravene any of
the ethical principles of this Code of Ethics.
The PAP Code of Ethics Article X, Section A (Research)
6. It is our duty to ask participants about any factors that could bring forth potential harm, such as pre-
existing medical conditions, and to detect, remove, or correct any foreseeable undesirable
consequences prior to research proper.
7. To ensure that participants’ rights are protected, we seek independent and sufficient ethical review
of the possible risks our research may pose to them.