Question

1. How is the case method  different from how most psychologist research is conducted?

2. Informed consent is required in which of the following design(s): (1 pt)

              a. case study

              b. correlation

              c. experiment

              d. naturalistic observation

              e. a, b and c above all require informed consent but d does not

3. A big difference between correlations and experiments is that correlational variables are ­­­­___ while experimental variables are ____?

A researcher investigated the relationship between GPA and exercise. To do this, she asked students leaving the campus library for their GPA and how many hours each week they exercised.

4a 4b. What are the two variables in this study? (1/2 pt for each variable)

5. If this researcher found a positive correlation, what does this tell us about the relationship of the variables in this study? (1/2 pt)

6. If this researcher found a negative correlation, what does this tell us about the relationship of the variables in this study? (1/2 pt)

7. What is at least one possible third-variable in this study? (1 pt)

Answer 1

1. Case study method is an in depth study of a particular thing. It does not require statistical analysis or correlation between two variables. It refers to narrowing down to one particular topic and digging deep to further understand it. For instance, a researcher wants to understand how childhood effects adult personality, he takes a subject who has had a very traumatic childhood. The subject lost his mother young, the father got married to woman who tortured the subject during his childhood. This method of study does not require statistics. It is simply observing and understanding a particular thing and concluding what possibly causes an adult to behave a certain way.