Lesson Objective:
- How do we use the scientific method to make sense of our behaviour?
Type of Research
Suggested Research Topics
Survey
* Conducting research using a survey involves going out and asking questions about the phenomenon of interest.
* Should the federal government subsidize daycare for all children?
* Should parenting courses for expecting parents be compulsory?
* Should expectant mothers be given fully-paid maternity leave for the term of the pregnancy?
* Should we allow cloning (copying) of human tissue for transplants and surgery?
* Should family size be restricted?
* Should the family allowance be increased to cover all food, educational and health costs for children up to the age of three?
* Should adults wait until they are at least 25 years of age before starting a family?
Interview
* The interview method of research, typically, involves a face-to-face meeting in which a researcher (interviewer) asks an individual a series of questions.
* How have parenting styles changed from when your parents were children?
* What was it like being a teenager when your parents or grandparents were adolescents?
* How has the role of the father in parenting and child-raising changed?
Naturalistic Observation
* In naturalistic research, the observer does not intervene at all. For all intents and purposes, the researcher is invisible and works hard not to interrupt the natural dynamics of the situation being investigated.
* What are the play behaviours of young children?
* Are there gender differences in aggressive behaviour?
* Are there gender differences in the choice, type and use of toys?
* Do mixed gender playgroups change the nature and type of play behaviours?
* Group dynamics: How do groups solve problems?
* What are the various forms and techniques of discipline?
* What effect does violence on television have on people?
Case Study
* A case study is an intensive study of one individual. Typically, the case study is based on interviews with the subject regarding his or her background, present thinking or actions. It may also utilize interviews of others who know the individual. Additional case study material may be obtained through observation, experiments and standardized tests, such as personality inventories and intelligence tests.
* Lives lived. Conduct a case study of a senior or Elder in your family or community and construct a presentation or report on his or her life.
* Who was B.F. Skinner and what role did he play in developmental psychology?
* Who was Ivan Pavlov and what role did he play in developmental psychology?
* Who was Jean Piaget and what role did he play in developmental psychology?
* Who was Albert Bandura and what role did he play in developmental psychology?
* Who was Abraham Maslow and what role did he play in developmental psychology?
* Who was Lev Vygotsky and what role did he play in developmental psychology?
Experimental Research
* Experimental researchers take care to create an environment in which they can make causal statements. They manipulate variables, randomly assign participants to various conditions, and seek to control other influences that could affect their research.
* Eyewitness testimony: How reliable is it? Design a research study to evaluate the accuracy of the recall of observers to an unanticipated event. Stage an unexpected event such as a person bursting into the classroom and describing an “emergency” situation. Once the actor leaves, ask the students to write down exactly what they heard described. Share individual descriptions with the class and discuss the variances in the testimony.
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