Research Methods In Psychology Research Articles

Dismantling Racism in Research Methods and Practices

Dismantling racism in American psychology has recently emerged as a critical goal of the field accompanied by actionable steps being developed in training, research, and practice. To contribute to this significant undertaking, we offer an exploration of the impact of racism on psychological research methods and practices using the ABC model. First, antecedents to the present manifestation of the problem are identified as an advancement of research topics that supported a hereditary hierarchy based on race, the normalization of White participants as standard in comparative studies, and the use of biased measures to investigate various constructs, particularly as it relates to psychological testing. Second, sampling bias is discussed as a systemic behavior that produces racism in psychological research methods; specifically, issues of omission and commission are described along with the use of WEIRD samples and the role of implicit bias in the limited production of knowledge on people of color. Third, the antecedents and behaviors give way to consequences that include threats to cultural validity, unequal treatment and health disparities, and epistemic oppression in the field. We end with recommendations for avoiding a continuation of the field’s racist legacy in present-day psychology.

A Feminist Companion to Research Methods in Psychology

A Feminist Companion to Research Methods in Psychology

Roger Kirk (1930-2023).

Roger Kirk, renowned for his many contributions to psychological research methods, passed away on December 30, 2023, in Waco, Texas, at the age of 93. Born in Indiana on February 23, 1930, Roger spent most of his childhood in Kentucky and Ohio. He developed an interest in the trombone as a teenager, so planned a musical career when he enrolled at The Ohio State University. After earning bachelor's and master's degrees in music, however, he came to realize he was "just an average trombone player." Some vocational guidance led him to Ohio State's experimental psychology doctoral program, which he started in 1952. Roger summed up his substantial career change as follows: "God gives all of us talents, it just took me longer than most people to find mine." Roger's doctoral research focused on psychoacoustics, so after completing his dissertation in 1955, he took a job as a psychoacoustical engineer at the Baldwin Piano and Organ Company. Roger was an accomplished author and received a multitude of accolades during his career; including Baylor's highest teaching designation (Master Teacher, 1993) and highest scholarship designation (Distinguished Professor, 1995). Roger is survived by "the love of my life," Jane Abbott-Kirk, whom he married in 1983. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Formation of professional identity and motivation among future primary school teachers in the process of educational practice

Introduction. The article examines the problem of forming professional identity and motivation among students in the process of mastering the discipline “Educational practice (research work (obtaining primary skills in research work))”. The current stage of professional training of future teachers is focused on mastering the methods of integrating educational subjects for organizing developmental research activities, which is reflected in the “Core of Higher Pedagogical Education.” The purpose of the article is to substantiate the way of formation of professional identity and motivation of future teachers in the process of educational practice (research work (obtaining primary research skills)”. Materials and Methods. Theoretical and methodological analysis, a method of diagnostic analysis, including a questionnaire of professional identity of students (U. S. Rodygina), diagnosing the internal position of students in relation to their future profession, the components of which are the characteristics of the professional identity of students “Emotional attitude” and “ Conscious activity"; a methodology for determining motivation for vocational training (V.G. Katashev), which allows one to study and analyze the level of motivation of students in the context of their vocational education; methods of mathematical statistics. Results. Testing students – future primary school teachers in the process of educational practice to obtain primary skills in research work allowed us to conclude that the motivation of future primary school teachers is normal. As a result of the study, it was revealed that according to the questionnaire “Professional Identity of Students” (U. S. Rodygina), the highest average score was noted on the scale “positive emotions associated with meeting a person’s needs in the profession”, the lowest average score corresponds to the scale “position of a student’s passive attitude” to the acquired profession”. The results obtained from the diagnostic “Methodology for determining motivation for vocational training” showed that the highest average score corresponds to the normal level of motivation, the lowest – to the average level of motivation. Discussion and Conclusions. The obtained results of the study substantiate the relevance of the problem of forming professional identity and motivation among students of the faculty of primary school teacher training in the process of educational practice. The educational practice carried out at the faculty plays a key role in the formation of students’ primary research skills. The peculiarities of the implementation of this type of practice is that the process of training future teachers consists of three modules: methodological foundations of scientific knowledge; methods of psychological and pedagogical research; registration of the results of scientific work. Each module is aimed at achieving the goal of practice: obtaining primary research skills in organizing and conducting psychological and pedagogical research in education, processing and presenting its results. The module tasks are aimed at students performing a number of practical actions: studying the fundamentals of the scientific method; choosing a topic and research question; literature review; data collection and analysis; interpretation of results; writing a scientific article or report; preparing a presentation; public speaking practice; cooperation with the scientific supervisor; publication and feedback. The authors emphasize the effectiveness of the tasks used in the process of developing students’ research skills.

Physiological Mechanisms of The Relationship Between Memory, Attention, and Arousal in Children Diagnosed with Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder with an early onset and lifelong duration that impairs social interaction and communication, with the condition being repeatedly diagnosed. To gain scientific knowledge about autism, one must observe these patients, perform a series of investigations and examinations, and finally obtain a general title. The first stage of getting to know children diagnosed with autism is one of the most important conditions for studying their psychology and inner world. Therefore, studying the psychology of children diagnosed with autism is also considered a responsible task for psychologists. The article presents the results of assessing the level of anxiety, stress, depression, attention and memory indicators in children with autism, which is an actual problem in recent times, in different age groups. The studies were conducted at two different locations: the Special Support, Special Training and Rehabilitation Centre (Tatvan district of Bitlis, Turkey) and the Psychological Centre Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Development Centre “PRIM” (Baku, Azerbaijan). Conducting studies in two different regions will reveal whether there is a difference between patients diagnosed with autism. The study examined children diagnosed with autism aged 6-12 years of both sexes (44 in Turkey; 51 in Azerbaijan). The results obtained in the study were compared with normal test limits. Psychological testing was conducted on an individual basis, and for the comprehensive study, the same child was tested repeatedly, with a certain frequency and with special attention. Although more boys than girls were included in the confirmed cases, since the aim was not to study gender differences, care was taken to obtain generalisable results. The attempt to clarify a complex topic such as stress in a broad topic such as autism characterises a very complex situation. Therefore, we have endeavoured to obtain more accurate results through the use of comprehensive tests. The main objective of the research work is to obtain certain results by using comprehensive psychological research methods in determining the level of stress and anxiety in children diagnosed with autism and to study the main characteristics of autism by comparing them with psychological indicators considered within the normal range. The results of studies conducted in Turkey and Azerbaijan showed the presence of low levels of attention and memory processes, behavioural disorders, aggressive and depressive behaviour in all age groups against the background of increased arousal. Children diagnosed with autism exhibit similar symptoms regardless of their geographical location, indicating that this disease has common characteristics regardless of national, racial, religious, and regional peculiarities.

Critical social psychology, qualitative research and on being a research butterfly/magpie: ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’

Hannah Frith is a critical social psychologist and is Associate Professor in Psychology and Research Director for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Surrey. Her work draws on interdisciplinary theory and research to examine the intersections of sexuality, gender and embodiment, using creative qualitative research methods. Hannah has published numerous research articles and texts, illustrating a wide range of topics and research methods, including her latest book A Feminist Companion to Research Methods in Psychology’, with Rose Capdevila. The interview was conducted by one of our editors (Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez) together with a Psychology PhD student (Tilbe Nur Aslan) and centred on Hannah’s journey and work as a critical social psychologist, using qualitative and creative qualitative research methods, as well as pointers on how to branch out both in research topic and method. The interview was a thoroughly enjoyable, lively and vibrant experience!

Studying the characteristics of mentoring university students with the main focus on supporting their professional development

Introduction. The problem of training and development of demanded, highly qualified professionals is explored. The purpose of this article is to identify the characteristic features of mentoring university students aimed at enhancing their professional development. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted using theoretical, empirical and auxiliary methods of psychological and educational research. General logical methods of scientific knowledge included analysis, synthesis and generalization of information. The analysis was based on questionnaires, as well as the method of collecting social information. Mathematical and statistical methods for interpreting the results were used as auxiliary methods. When assessing the reliability of differences between the data obtained from students of different years of study, a nonparametric statistical method was used (the Pearson chi-square test). Results. The authors identified features of mentoring university students. Four types of mentors have been identified: 1) mentors for learning; 2) mentors as psychologists; 3) research mentors; 4) field-based mentors. The functions of each type of mentors have been described and clarified. Furthermore, the authors proposed a system of interaction between mentors. Conclusions. The article concludes about the characteristic features of mentoring university students in order to facilitate their professional development as future professionals. The authors proposed a system of mentoring focusing on training, support and guidance of students which includes four types of mentors. A system of interaction between mentor and student is described.

Predicting attitudes toward ambiguity using natural language processing on free descriptions for open-ended question measurements

Individual traits and reactions to ambiguity differ and are conceptualized in terms of an individual’s attitudes toward ambiguity or ambiguity tolerance. The development of natural language processing technology has made it possible to measure mental states and reactions through open-ended questions, rather than predefined numerical rating scales, which have traditionally been the dominant method in psychological research. This study presented three ambiguity-related situations and responses collected online from 591 participants in an open-ended format. After the analysis with bidirectional encoder representations from transformers, correlations were calculated using scores from the numerical evaluation by conventional questionnaire, and a significant moderate positive correlation was found. Therefore, this study found that attitudes toward ambiguity can be measured using an open-ended response method of reporting everyday life states. It is a novel methodology that can be expanded to other scales in psychology and can potentially be used in educational and clinical situations where participants can be asked to respond with minimal burden.

Comparing ChatGPT With Experts’ Responses to Scenarios that Assess Psychological Literacy

Progress in understanding students’ development of psychological literacy is critical. However, generative AI represents an emerging threat to higher education which may dramatically impact on student learning and how this learning transfers to their practice. This research investigated whether ChatGPT responded in ways that demonstrated psychological literacy and whether it matched the responses of subject matter experts (SMEs) on a measure of psychological literacy. We tasked ChatGPT with providing responses to 13 psychology research methods scenarios as well as to rate each of the five response options that were already developed for each scenario by the research team. ChatGPT responded in ways that would typically be regarded as displaying a high level of psychological literacy. The response options which were previously rated by two groups of SMEs were then compared with ratings provided by ChatGPT. The Pearson's correlations were very high ( r's = .73 and .80, respectively), as were the Spearman's rhos (rho's = .81 and .82, respectively). Kendall's tau were also quite high (tau's = .67 and .68, respectively). We conclude that ChatGPT may generate responses that match SME psychological literacy in research methods, which could also generalise across multiple domains of psychological literacy.

Методы сетевого моделирования структуры семантической памяти: теоретический обзор

The article is aimed at considering the network modeling methods for human semantic memory structure. The work provides an analytical review of existing approaches to modeling the structure of human semantic memory, as a result of which the most methodologically optimal way of modeling semantic memory is estab-lished – based on the construction and analysis of semantic networks. The authors study various methods of network modeling of semantic memory structure: verbal fluency problem, snowball problem, semantic connec-tivity problem. In addition, examples of using these methods in psychological research are given, and their methodological advantages and disadvantages are highlighted. The results of the present work can be useful in the formation of new methods for network modeling of the structure of human semantic memory, as well as in the creation of intelligent systems that process graph data.

Most Psychological Researchers Assume Their Samples Are Ergodic: Evidence From a Year of Articles in Three Major Journals

Conventional statistics methods in most psychological research, such as null-hypothesis significance tests (NHSTs), use aggregated values (i.e., the sample means) of group behaviours to make inferences about individuals. Such inferences are possibly erroneous because groups of humans rarely, if ever, constitute an ergodic system. To assume ergodicity without checking is to commit the ‘ergodic fallacy’. The aim of the current study was to examine the prevalence of this error in contemporary psychological research. We analysed three highly cited ‘Q1’ journals in the fields of clinical, educational and cognitive psychology for statements that indicated this error. As hypothesized, the ergodic fallacy was found in the vast majority of the papers investigated here. We also hypothesised that the prevalence of this error would be highest in cognitive psychology papers because this field typically assesses theoretical claims about universal cognitive mechanisms, whereas clinical and educational psychology are more concerned with empirically supported interventions. This hypothesis was also supported by our results. Nonetheless, the prevalence of the ergodic fallacy was still high in all fields. Implications are discussed with respect to the reporting of research findings and the validity of theories in psychology.

Проблемы и перспективы социальной адаптации инвалидов в малых городах России: по результатам авторского исследования

The article presents the results of the author's research on the problems and prospects of social adaptation for young people with disabilities living in small towns in Russia. A comprehensive study was conducted in 2023 using sociological (observation, formalized survey) and psychological (projective techniques, art therapy) research methods. The aim of the study was to identify the factors of successful social adaptation among the people with disabilities (people with disabilities since childhood and people with acquired disabilities) living in the city of Murom, Vladimir region. Sociological data were obtained during the implementation of the project "Limitless Meetings," supported by a grant from the Federal Agency Rosmolodezh. The sample of the study was targeted (n = 36); the sample included people with disabilities of the musculoskeletal system and members of the Murom City public organization of support workers who are also people with disabilities, "Phoenix." During the implementation of the project, the participants were involved in proactive creative, cultural, leisure, and educational activities, which allowed the participants to focus their attention on the research goals. The scientific novelty and theoretical significance of the work lie in the development and testing of tools for a comprehensive study of the social adaptation of people with disabilities and the inclusion in the analysis of social adaptation of indicators of the impact of educational and creative activities on the satisfaction of project participants. As a result, the authors have identified the factors contributing to the successful adaptation of people with disabilities and also presented a promising model of their interaction in order to increase the effectiveness of social adaptation, which was tested during the implementation of the project. The analysis of the problems and prospects of social adaptation, as well as the assessment of the interaction model of the participants of the project "Limitless Meetings," were carried out based on the results of observation, a sociological survey, and the interpretation of data obtained as a result of the use of art therapy and projective techniques. It was revealed that the level of social adaptation of the project participants increased. This was influenced by: the intensive social interaction of project participants with volunteers; their acquisition of practical skills in social networking and resume writing; and the use of technologies for the active expression of creative abilities during art therapy sessions. The practical significance of the work is the data obtained during the successful implementation of the project and the involvement of people with disabilities with diseases of the musculoskeletal system in cultural, creative, educational, and artistic activities, which can be used by specialists in correctional and rehabilitation work in rehabilitation centers for the people with disabilities, social and educational institutions, and centers of additional education in order to increase the effectiveness of social adaptation.

Distinctive Characteristics of Destructive Conflicts Among Students

The paper considers the concept of "destructive conflict" and its significant characteristics; the causes and consequences of the emergence of destructive conflicts in student age are studied; the interrelation of personal features of students with behavioral reactions in a destructive conflict is analyzed.Conflicts are constantly present in relationships between people and play a key role in the life of a person, family, team, state, society and the person as a whole. The student society also cannot do without conflicts, as many different problems arise in it. Student problems are very diverse and large-scale, and most of all they are associated with the educational process and the individual and personal characteristics of a person. During the educational process, students need to adequately assess both their level of stress resistance and the degree of severity of personality conflict. Students need to learn how to effectively use various ways to overcome conflict behavior, to be able to detect and understand conflictogens that can lead to conflict escalation.The purpose of the psychological research presented in the work was a multidimensional study of the features of the course of destructive conflicts in the student environment.The scientific article presents the results of a study of such characteristics as character accentuations; aggressiveness; tactics of behavior in the conflict. Thanks to the conducted psychological experiment, interconnected sets were identified, including both personal characteristics and styles of behavior in conflict. These parameters were calculated using the computer program STATISTICA 13.5.0.17.The work used such methodological approaches as axiological, humanistically oriented, systemic. Scientific methods of psychological research were: organizational methods; theoretical analysis of literary sources on the research problem; empirical methods: observation, psychodiagnostic methods.

The Impact of Social Media on Consumer Sentiment

With the wide use of network media, consumers’ information acquisition and communication methods have undergone significant changes. Network media not only provides them with a fast and efficient way to obtain information, but also provides them with a broader social space and communication platform. Therefore, the popularity of social media has brought some negative effects, such as low mood and depression among consumers. This paper will first study the impact of social media operation strategies on consumer sentiment. Secondly, the author will examine how social media self-control affects mood, which includes how users control their emotions and behaviors on social media, and the impact of this self-control on consumer mood. This paper will discuss and study through the research methods of psychology and sociology. Finally, this study aims to analyze the problem of information overload between social media and consumer sentiment by focusing on the comments made by consumers on social media. At the end of the study, the research results need to be summarized and analyzed in order to provide useful references for social media platforms to manage consumer emotions, so as to provide useful references for lawmakers, academics and practitioners.

Does the Number of Response Categories Impact Validity Evidence in Self-Report Measures? A Scoping Review

The optimal number of responses categories (NRC) is among the most discussed, yet least decided, topic in self-report measures. In addition, there is a dearth of scoping reviews that summarize its impact on validity evidence (e.g., evidence-based on internal structure). To that end, we conducted a scoping review of methodological literature to provide self-report measures developers and applied researchers with evidence-based recommendations when selecting the optimal NRC. Given the inconsistent results reported in previous research, a key recommendation, when conducting cognitive interviews, is to investigate the interpretation of response options by a sample of potential participants who have varying perspectives. This procedure is paramount to ascertain that response options are accurately interpreted and function as intended. The present scoping review is expected to become a valuable resource for applied researchers and practitioners to make informed decisions about the optimal NRC, taking into account validity evidence, and therefore contributes to the literature of educational and psychological measurement and research methods.

Quality Criteria: General and Specific Guidelines for Qualitative Approaches in Psychology Research. A Concise Guide for Novice Researchers and Reviewers

The purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive guide for novice researchers (mostly applicable to PhD students and those new to qualitative research), teachers, and reviewers of qualitative psychology research methods. This paper delineates the main quality criteria across qualitative methods: providing a holistic framework that covers fundamental principles as well as nuanced, context-specific guidelines relevant to a chosen qualitative approach. First, we demonstrate why this overview is needed, in part because of an increasing emphasis on finding sound ways of appraising qualitative studies, the lack of agreement on quality markers, and the variety of qualitative research methodologies available. Next, we present general criteria for quality across all qualitative methods, before setting out method specific criteria for four commonly used qualitative research approaches: Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA), Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), Critical Discursive Psychology/Discursive Psychology (CDP/DP) and Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT). While the focus is on providing criteria specific to these methodological approaches, we also describe the broader philosophical foundations underpinning these approaches and other branches within these philosophies, recognising that methodological criteria can be contrasting and competing even within methodologies. The integration of general and approach-specific criteria cultivates a deeper understanding of both the philosophical underpinnings and practical intricacies of qualitative inquiry, empowering researchers to navigate the methodological landscape with critical acumen and intellectual humility. Finally, we compare the four methodologies in terms of key features and qualities they aim to achieve. The paper emphasizes that even though there are criteria that are common across the field, it is essential to maintain the specific stance of each individual methodological approach.

Study on the Mechanism of Emotional Labor and Intellectual Thinking in Burnout

Research on the interaction mechanism of cognitive evaluation, intellectual thinking, and burnout syndrome generally refers to academic fields related to individual psychology and burnout, such as individual cognitive appraisal, intellectual thinking, emotional labor, and burnout. It is a general term for psychology and mental health, with an interdisciplinary and applied nature. Unlike a single discipline, it presents complex attributes. During the research, it is not easy to conduct in-depth research by quantifying or applying traditional psychological models, and the diversity of research methods is somewhat limited. With the emergence of big data and artificial intelligence, the academic community has been paying more and more attention to psychology research methods. In recent years, scientists have begun to pay attention to the combination of innovation and interdisciplinarity, and the construction and application of big data and artificial intelligence technologies in psychology is a typical example. Considering the complexity of the research objects and the problems involved, how to effectively integrate big data, artificial intelligence technology, and psychology has become a problem that needs to be solved urgently in academic circles. This study analyzes applying the above theories to practice to provide theoretical foundations and practical references for promoting the interface of internal and external elements and innovation in this field.

Ethnography vs. zombie methodologies

AbstractBeginning in 2011, public scandals and high‐visibility critiques of research methods in psychology fed a broader “replication crisis”: foundational experiments could not be replicated, and statistical methods in social psychology demonstrated vulnerability to fraud and manipulation. Even well‐intended researchers following accepted psychological protocols—zombie methodologies—could unintentionally produce false positives. In response, social psychologists have called for greater sensitivity to cultural diversity, a deeper consideration of social context, and more methodological reflection. The contrast with anthropology is dramatic, highlighting some of the strengths of our field: methodological versatility, appreciation of human variability, theoretical creativity, and a solid foundation for synthetic, interdisciplinary collaboration grounded in our tradition of holism. The human sciences are an important audience for anthropologists, as the example of cognitive science shows.

Relationship Between Types of Family Education and Emotional-volitional Sphere in Student Age

Intra-family relations are the main component of the educational potential of the family. In our society, they are conditioned by state and domestic relations. Their significance in the formation and development of the individual is due to the fact that they are the central link in social relations in which the individual enters into the process of his personal growth.The family is the main phenomenon that accompanies a person throughout his life. Its influence on the personality, its complexity and versatility give rise to many approaches to the study of the family and definitions that can be found in the scientific literature. The object of study is the family as a social institution, a small group or a system of relationships.The purpose of the presented pilot psychological study was to study the influence of types of family education on the formation and development of the emotional-volitional component in student age.The paper studies such characteristics as student age, emotional-volitional sphere, types of family education, family, emotions and will.In the work, a bibliometric analysis of the research problem was carried out, an experiment was carried out. Thanks to the psychological experiment, the types of family education and their influence on the development of the emotional-volitional sphere of such a category as students were determined.The results of the study are based on a systemic, axiological, humanistically oriented methodological component. The methods of pilot psychological research were experiment, observation, survey, method of statistical processing of results.

Pedagogical Strategy Based on the Application of Design Thinking Techniques for the Teaching-Learning Process of Research Methodologies in Psychology Students of the Technical Corporation for Human, Social and Cultural Development of Colombia- CORPODESC, 2023

This master's thesis was born as a commitment to improve the training processes of university students around the teaching of research methodologies; thus creating a new way of bringing knowledge of the scientific method to students in a dynamic, creative, practical and innovative way. This exercise was carried out at the Technical Corporation for Human, Social and Cultural Development of Colombia (Corpodesc), specifically in its psychology program that is implemented through virtual education; The main objective of this work was to develop a pedagogical strategy based on the application of design thinking techniques for the teaching- learning process of research methodologies in psychology students at Corpodesc. To carry out this process, different theoretical components were taken into account, such as the conceptualization of design thinking and the design thinking model for educators, as well as those related to the competency-based educational model for professional training. To operationalize this research project, it was framed under the interpretative paradigm with a qualitative approach; using the practical design type of participatory action research. The sample consisted of 18 seventh-semester psychology students in virtual mode who were taking the subject of 'research methods in psychology'; all of whom participated in the strategy designed. For data collection, the 'Scale to Measure Attitudes towards Research (EACIN)2 was selected in the diagnosis, and a structured interview was applied for the evaluation. Among the main results of the study with respect to the diagnosis was that a significant percentage of the students had a level of favorability around research, although their main deficiencies were around procrastinating as much as possible the activities related to research or having little culture of reading research papers. Regarding the evaluation of the strategy, what can be highlighted is that the students stated that the teaching of research methodologies under the conception of design thinking made it much more practical, dynamic, innovative, interesting and much easier for them to integrate the theoretical with the pragmatic aspects of the research. It is concluded from this whole process that the design thinking methodology does have the capacity to be adapted to the teaching-learning processes of research methodologies at the undergraduate level, however, it is important to carry out more studies that allow a differentiation of effectiveness between this way of teaching and the traditional way.