The 5 most common study methods in Psychology

There are few efforts being made to turn the chaos of psychological knowledge into a well-organized, systematized and empirically validated theoretical corpus meeting the criteria of scientific method.

For this, psychology employs a number of study methods that allow psychologists to approach the questions that are posed in the most optimal way and with the least number of biases, in order to build knowledge that will serve as the basis for new hypotheses.

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There is no better method than another, each has its advantages and disadvantages. Rather, it is about choosing the method that best approximates the phenomenon we want to know. Depending on our objective, we will use one or the other. Let's see below which are the most used.

Study methods in psychology

Typically, research methods in psychology are divided into three large families. The correlational method, the descriptive method and the experimental method, each with its peculiarities and advantages over the others.

Although we will not look at the entire family tree of study methods, we will specify some methodologies that are particularly important for the study of psychology.

1. Correlational method

When we speak of correlation, we refer to the association between two variables. A correlation indicates how many times we observe phenomenon A, we can observe phenomenon B. For example, if we take the variables "socioeconomic level" and "academic success" we can ask ourselves if these two correlate, that is, if the appearance of one predicts the appearance of the other. If, after examining a sample, we find that an increase in one is associated with an increase in another, we could speak of a positive correlation.

This is useful because it allows you to make predictions. If we know that weight and height correlate positively, when we see a tall person we can predict that he will be heavy. At this point we must stop and make a distinction between association and causality..

A correlation indicates an association that is predictable, but does not provide an explanation for why it happens. We often reason fallaciously and assume that when two phenomena occur together, one causes the other. Many times we ignore the presence of third variables that mediate the relationship between one phenomenon and the other. This is why to deduce causality we use another method that we explain at the end of the article.

Psychologists use the correlational method to obtain information about phenomena that are impossible to reproduce. under laboratory conditions. For example, if we want to examine the relationship between alcoholic intake and the number of visits to emergency services it would be It is optimal to design a correlational study to see how as alcohol consumption increases, the number of visits.

2. Descriptive method

Psychologists choose this method of study when we want to describe a phenomenon as it occurs, meticulously and exhaustively in all its aspects. It consists of any attempt to determine or identify what the phenomenon is without going into the why, when or how.

It is the method we choose when we want to answer questions such as: "What attitudes do people over 65 in rural settings have towards homosexuality?" Through surveys, case studies and systematic observation, it is possible to answer non-quantifiable questions. Likewise, it allows a first approach to a question that can be more thoroughly addressed through correlational or experimental studies.

3. Experimental method

Within the study methods of psychology, The experimental method aims to elucidate what is the cause-consequence relationship through the manipulation of one of the variables. These are called laboratory studies. This method has the advantage of being objective, the researcher's preconceptions have little weight on the results and hardly generate biases.

For this reason, it is the method par excellence if we want to obtain safe, reliable and accurate data when the phenomenon to be studied allows it. This does not mean that they are the only type of valid studies to generate knowledge, it is possible to generate knowledge through correlational studies, but experimental designs allow a degree of safety and explanation higher.

In experimental studies, the researcher modifies a variable that he controls, called the independent variable, to observe changes in a second variable, the dependent variable.

For example, If we want to observe the causal relationship between the administration of a drug and the disappearance of symptoms, we will use the experimental method of study. Dividing the sample into two groups, where one is administered a drug and the other a placebo, if we measure the symptoms at various points in the research we will obtain experimental data about how the dependent variable "symptoms" disappears when we introduce the independent variable "drug".

To know how much the dependent variable has changed after the introduction of the change, it is essential to collect data before the change. This is the so-called baseline, the experimenter's starting point.

4. Study with twins

Sometimes psychologists use methods that do not end up falling into one of these three great families. For example, When we want to know if the personality is the result of socialization or if it is heritable, we use twin studies. In these studies we take twins separated at birth who grow up in different families and study their personalities at different points in their life.

After a while, we compare the differences between twins and, with a sample of twins sufficiently large, we can get an idea of ​​how much it is due to genetic factors and how much to the way children are servants.

5. Computer models

Another way to study behavior is through computer models. This is a very common method in the study of thought. It consists of developing a theory about how a specific mental process works, for example word recognition, and creating a program that simulates this process as we think it happens. We then test different hypotheses through this program, running simulations just like a human would. However, the validity of this method depends on the validity of the theory that supports it.