Table 2.2. Characteristics of three major research designs
Research Design | Goal | Advantages | Disadvantages |
Descriptive | To create a snapshot of the current stat ... | Provides a relatively complete picture o ... | Does not assess relationships among vari ... |
Correlational | To assess the relationships between and ... | Allows testing of expected relationships ... | Cannot be used to draw inferences about ... |
Experimental | To assess the causal impact of one or mo ... | Allows conclusions to be drawn about the ... | Cannot experimentally manipulate many im ... |
What are 4 types of research designs in psychology?
Types of design include repeated measures, independent groups, and matched pairs designs. Probably the commonest way to design an experiment in psychology is to divide the participants into two groups, the experimental group, and the control group, and then introduce a change to the experimental group and not the control group.
What are the different types of research design in psychology?
The Three Types of Psychology Research
- Causal or Experimental Research When most people think of scientific experimentation, research on cause and effect is most often brought to mind. ...
- Descriptive Research Descriptive research seeks to depict what already exists in a group or population. ...
- Relational or Correlational Research
What is research design and types of research design?
Research design is a plan to answer your research question. A research method is a strategy used to implement that plan. Research design and methods are different but closely related, because good research design ensures that the data you obtain will help you answer your research question more effectively. Which research method should I choose? It depends on your research goal.
What are the 5 methods of research in psychology?
What are the research methods used in social psychology?
- ethics.
- Experiments.
- Hypothesis.
- Laboratory environments.
- Naturalistic observation.
- research.
- Research designs.
- Scientific Method.

What are the 4 types of research design?
Now that we know the broadly classified types of research, Quantitative and Qualitative Research can be divided into the following 4 major types of Research Designs: Descriptive Research Design. Correlational Research Design. Experimental Research Design.
What are the 3 major psychological research designs?
Psychology research can usually be classified as one of three major types.Causal or Experimental Research.Descriptive Research.Relational or Correlational Research.
How many research designs are there in psychology?
Psychologists use three major types of research designs in their research, and each provides an essential avenue for scientific investigation.
What are the 7 types of research design?
The design of a research topic explains the type of research (experimental, survey research, correlational, semi-experimental, review) and also its sub-type (experimental design, research problem, descriptive case-study).
What are the 4 main methods of psychological research?
Case studies, surveys, naturalistic observation, and laboratory observation are examples of descriptive or correlational research methods. Using these methods, researchers can describe different events, experiences, or behaviors and look for links between them.
What are the 5 types of research?
Five Basic Types of Research StudiesCase Studies.Correlational Studies.Longitudinal Studies.Experimental Studies.Clinical Trial Studies.
What are the 5 methods in psychology?
Table of ContentsMethod # 1. Observation Method:Method # 2. Experimental Method or Experimental Observation:Method # 3. Psychological Experiment:Method # 4. Variables – Independent – Dependent and Intervening:Method # 5. Control:Method # 6. The Case Method:Method # 7. Survey Method:
What is research design?
The research design refers to the overall strategy that you choose to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent and logical way, thereby, ensuring you will effectively address the research problem; it constitutes the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data.
What are the 10 research designs?
Note that your research problem determines the type of design you can use, not the other way around!General Structure and Writing Style.Action Research Design.Case Study Design.Causal Design.Cohort Design.Cross-Sectional Design.Descriptive Design.Experimental Design.More items...•
What are the 6 types of research design?
The six critical types of research include exploratory research, descriptive research, explanatory research, correlational research, and causal research.
What are 5 qualitative research designs?
A popular and helpful categorization separate qualitative methods into five groups: ethnography, narrative, phenomenological, grounded theory, and case study. John Creswell outlines these five methods in Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design.
Descriptive Designs
Descriptive research in psychology is concerned with a measurement or observation of 'what is' in a specific place, time, and people. It is a non-invasive approach because there is no manipulation on the part of the researcher. The three common types of descriptive research designs in psychology are observation, case studies and surveys.
Correlational Designs
Correlational designs provide a measurement of the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables. It provides a numerical value between 1 and -1 indicating a positive relationship when one variable increases along with the other, such as weight and height.
Quasi-Experimental Designs
When the issue of causality between an independent and dependent variable is the relationship of interest, experimental designs are the only methods that can begin identifying cause. A quasi-experimental design is a true experiment in all respects except random assignment.
Experimental Designs
True experimental designs are interested in a causal relationship between the independent and dependent variables where subjects are randomly assigned to the control or experimental group. This design is often conducted in a laboratory setting where confounding variables can be controlled.
What is the first type of research design?
A first type of research design is called descriptive. Descriptive studies aim only to gather data to present a complete picture of a given subject. Psychologists might use a survey to assess the state of mental health on college campuses.
What are the two variables that psychologists might measure?
To answer the question, 'Do smart parents have smart children,' two variables psychologists might measure are parents' IQ and children's IQ.
What is a descriptive study?
Descriptive studies seek only to document; a case study like Phineas Gage is an example of this. Correlational studies try to establish a relationship between two variables, like parents' IQ and children's IQ, though correlation does not equal causation.
What are the three most popular research designs?
Research Designs and Methods. Researchers use many different designs and methods to study human development. The three most popular designs are. Cross‐sectional: a number of different‐age individuals with the same trait or characteristic of interest are studied at a single time. Longitudinal: the same individuals are studied repeatedly ...
What is experimental research?
Experimental research is concerned with how and why something happens. The goal of experimental research is to test the effect that an independent variable, which the scientist manipulates, has on a dependent variable, which the scientist observes. In other words, experimental research leads to conclusions regarding causation.
What is correlation in psychology?
A correlation is a relationship between two variables (factors that change). Variables may include characteristics, attitudes, behaviors, or events. The goal of correlational research is to determine whether or not a relationship exists between two variables, and if a relationship does exist, the number of commonalities in that relationship. ...
Why do scientists choose to observe subjects' behavior directly through observational research?
Because distortion can be a serious limitation of survey research, scientists may choose to observe subjects' behavior directly through observational research. Observational research takes place in either a laboratory (laboratory observation) or a natural setting (naturalistic observation).
What is cross cultural research?
Most cross‐cultural research involves survey, direct observation, and participant observation methods of research. The challenge of this type of research is to avoid experimenter bias and the tendency to compare dissimilar characteristics as if they were somehow related.
What is survey research?
Survey research involves interviewing or administering questionnaires or written surveys to large numbers of people. The investigator analyzes the data obtained from surveys to learn about similarities, differences, and trends, and then makes predictions about the population being studied.
What is case study research?
In case‐study research, an investigator studies an individual who has a rare or unusual condition or who has responded favorably to a new treatment. Case studies are typically clinical in scope. The investi‐ gator—often a physician, psychologist, social worker, counselor, or educator—interviews the subject, obtains background records, and administers questionnaires to acquire quantifiable data on the subject. A comprehensive case study can last months or years. Throughout the duration of the case study, the researcher documents the condition, treatment, and effects in relation to each patient and summarizes all of this information in individual case reports. A typical case report follows this format:
Step 1: Consider your aims and approach
Before you can start designing your research, you should already have a clear idea of the research question you want to investigate.
Step 2: Choose a type of research design
Within both qualitative and quantitative approaches, there are several types of research design to choose from. Each type provides a framework for the overall shape of your research.
Step 3: Identify your population and sampling method
Your research design should clearly define who or what your research will focus on, and how you’ll go about choosing your participants or subjects.
Step 4: Choose your data collection methods
Data collection methods are ways of directly measuring variables and gathering information. They allow you to gain first-hand knowledge and original insights into your research problem.
Step 5: Plan your data collection procedures
As well as deciding on your methods, you need to plan exactly how you’ll use these methods to collect data that’s consistent, accurate, and unbiased.
Step 6: Decide on your data analysis strategies
On its own, raw data can’t answer your research question. The last step of designing your research is planning how you’ll analyze the data.
Frequently asked questions about research design
A research design is a strategy for answering your research question. It defines your overall approach and determines how you will collect and analyze data.