Chapter 6

Field Research (outside of lab)

 Naturalistic observation: in natural setting Low

Archival research: preexisting records

constraint
Case study: single group or person

Surveys: asking direct questions

Program evaluation: conducting evaluations of

applied procedures

 Field experiments: causal inferences High

 Field Research
Generalizability: extent to which results from a
+ study based on a sample apply to the population
as a whole - “real world” (External Validity)

Nonrepresentative sample: not accurately reflecting

- the characteristics of the population from which
the sample was drawn
 observations

naturalistic case study

Unobtrusive: no contact Participant observer:
with subject Contact with the subject

Archival data
Archival Research

- Historical accounts
- census data
- court records
- Police crime reports
- medical records

Have to have research question

Purely descriptive
 Field Research: More Examples

 Naturalistic observation Charles Darwin

British Naturalist
Theory of Evolution
1809 -1882
Natural Selection I have called this principle, by which
each slight variation, if useful, is preserved,
by the term Natural Selection.
—Charles Darwin from "The Origin of Species"

Archival research: preexisting records

Ex: Schizophrenia & Meds & sleep

Case study: single group or person

Freud & Anna O.
 If not unobtrusive Measurement Reactivity

Hawthorne Effect
(Mayo, 1927-1932: Roethlisberger & Dickson, 1939)

A bias in subject’s behavior – usually an improvement

in performance - that results from special treatment and
interest shown by the experimenter

Hawthorne Electric – AT&T

Measure productivity

- Illumination of room
- Hours worked
- # of rest periods
 Observational Research

Study the subject in their natural environment – Nonhuman

Ethogram

• inventory of the behaviors of a species

• behaviors thoroughly described and organized into categories
• enables animal behaviorists to accurately measure behavior
•"behavior scan" method: "scan" at regular, brief intervals
• results: frequency of behavior (graph) or time budgets
 Other Types of Field Research
Very important to Psych

Program evaluation: conducting evaluations of applied procedures

Surveys: asking direct questions

 Field experiments: causal inferences

 Reasons for doing Field Research – Field Experiments

• Basic vs Applied: test external validity of experiment done in lab

• to determine the effects of events in the field

• to improve GENERALIZATION across setting

participants in study to larger population

results of the study over time
setting to setting
 Survey Research – in the field

Survey: one or several questions that ask people

about their attitudes, beliefs, health, work, income
life satisfaction, political views etc….any issue can
be surveyed

Mostly used in the social sciences (social psych)

….sounds easy..just whip up some questions..
Survey Research – in the field
-Identify content area
-Construct your survey instrument
-Define population
-Draw representative sample
-Administer the survey

Administration of survey

mail Interview questionnaire

In person or telly Group or single
Survey Research – in the field

2 parts to survey:
-Demographics (factual items)
-Content Questions
Construction of questions

1. Open ended
2. Multiple choice
3. Likert scale
(continuum)
Likert Scale
 Likert Scale for Children

Do you think time-out is a good thing?

 Survey Research – in the field

Sampling procedures: 1. Convenience Sampling: Getting the

first subjects available Ex. Exiting
-Non probability polls
-probability 2. Quota: Convenience sample to
represents subgroups proportionate
to the real population
3. Snowball: locate each subject from
previous contact with previous
subject

1. Simple: randomly select subjects from list of population

2. Systematic: select every nth name form the list of population
3. Stratified: randomly select from subgroup (strata),
proportionate to each group’s representation in the population
 Survey Research – in the field
Research Designs:

Cross-sectional design (one shot deal): compares

responses of people of different ages at one time –
survey is only administered one time to each participant
– comparisons are made across age groups to investigate
age related changes in behavior/attitudes etc.

Longitudinal design (long-term): participants are studied

over time on the same DV – follow up tests – within
subjects design - How does the subject change over time
 Surveys

Status: Used to describe a current

characteristic of a population

How long will you live????

Take Life Expectancy Survey