Research Methods Essay

Psychology is the science of behavior and the mind. Psychologists use many different methods to study behavior. Three common research methods include case studies, correlational studies, and experiments. A case study is the analysis and in-depth examination of an individual unit (person or community). An advantage of a case study is that they’re a good way to study rare events or phenomena. For example, Genie the feral child was a case that was only studied because the opportunity presented itself and it was the only ethical way to study feral children.The case study allowed researchers to understand many new things about child development. A disadvantage of a case study is that it’s hard to make conclusions based on cause and effect. This is because in a case study you’re only studying on one person or a group of similar people. The people you’re studying could prove or disprove your hypothesis, but the accuracy is unreliable because it is based on how that small group of people or person was effected rather than having a more reliable study done on more people. Correlational studies measure the relationship between two variables and their relationship. An advantage of a correlational study is that it allows researchers to collect much more data compared to experiments. This is because in a correlational study, you can survey any number of people and supplies you with multiple responses and end up with a lot more data compared to an experiment where a sample size is required. A disadvantage of a correlational study is that no direct cause and effect can be made. In a correlational study, the correlation could be due to a third variable that was not studied. An experimental study is when the researcher manipulates a variable in order to see a direct cause and effect. An advantage of experimental studies is that the researcher can control extraneous variables. When variables are controlled, a more accurate conclusion will be drawn because the researcher will