THE FIELD OF

SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY -
Research
Dr. Kiran B. Ahmad,
Assistant Professor,
Institute of Professional Psychology
Sources
Myers, D.G. (2014). Social Psychology, 11th
Edition. McGraw Hill. International Edition. p.
12 and pp 17-28.
Video: Social Experiment Sharing in Children.
(On Edmodo)
Video: Hitting a girl (On Edmodo)
Forming concepts
and operationally
defining constructs
Labeling
Forming and
Testing Hypotheses
 Science is built up with facts as a
house is built with stones but a
collection of facts is no more a
science than a heap of stones is a
house

Theory: an integrated set of principles

that explain and predict observed events
Observati Hypothes Result
on is s

Theor Social Modifie

y Research d
theory
Understanding social research
Social
research

Method:
Method:
Experimenta
Correlational
l

Location: Location:
Laboratory Field
Correlational Research:
detecting natural
associations

The study of the naturally

occurring relationship among
variables
Case e.g. 1. Carroll, Smith and Bennet (1994):
The status-longevity correlation
Case e.g. 2. Self esteem-academic achievement
correlation
Correlation Causation
Revisiting Case e.g.s 1 & 2
understanding the third variable
Video e.g. Hitting a girl
Case e.g. 1.
Mathematical extraction: removal of effect of
cigarette smoking.
Case e.g. 2.
Mathematical extractions: removing intelligence
and family status (correlation evaporated)
Time lagged correlations: reveal the sequence of
events
Survey Research
Random sampling:
survey procedure in which
every person in the
population being studied has
an equal chance of inclusion
 Potentially biasing influences
1. Unrepresentative samples: opinion poll percentages
2. Order of questions: Americans opinions for civil
unions vs gay/lesbian marriages
3. Response options: energy from nuclear power (41%)
vs three options (21%)
4. Wording of questions: too much spent on assistance
to the poor (23%) vs too much spent on welfare (53%)
OR cutting foreign aid and increasing spending to
help hungry people in other nations
Framing: The way a question or an
issue is posed
30% fat vs 70% lean, 30%
fat

Application: organ donation

(yes, opting out)
Correlational vs Experimental
Studies
Prejudice against the
obese TV violence viewing
Experimental conditions and
random assignment
 The ethical experimental process: (see
video e.g. Social Experiment Sharing in
Children)

Experimental realism and the necessity

of deception

Plan,
hypothesize Enable
and limit
demand
informed Debrief
characteristics consent
Class exercise: