5 techniques

no involvement from researcher

choice questions (e.g. True-False) or open-ended questions (e.g. short answer essay)

descriptive study

self-report

Adv.: collecting data on aspects of behavior

DisAdv.: relies on a self-report method of data collection

researcher observes/records behavior in nature setting.

no human intervention

ex. observing volcanic eruption

Adv.: allows researcher to observe in setting where it normally occurs

DisAdvantages

takes a lot of time

things can only be observed not explained

the problemof observing without intervening

nonexperimental, descriptive type of study

in-depth records kept by outside observer

Ex.: a person's medical record

Adv.: useful when researchers can not conduct experiment

Disadvantages

descriptive method, not an explanatory one

may not be representative of the general group or population

Subtopic

researcher operates the “independent variable,” to see if it causes any changes in the “dependent variable.”

Advantages

Detect cause-and-effect relationships.

Used when it is appropriate, both practically and ethically, to manipulate the variables.

Disadvantages

Used when it is practical and ethical only.

The studies are done in the highly controlled artificial conditions of the laboratory, that doesn’t reflect the reality.

Example: How birds remember where they stash their seeds.

non-experimentalstatisticalrelation between variablessummarizingdescriptive

Advantages

prediction

Fairly accurate

relation determination

Disadvantages: no causation proof

Example: Wolves, moose and tree ring width