Please respond to this first activity:

This discussion will focus on the following research methods used in personality psychology:

• Correlational studies
• Experimental studies
• Case methods

Imagine your team is applying for a grant to conduct a major study in personality psychology. Before getting into the specifics of the study, the team leader has asked each team member to discuss one of the different research methods available in personality psychology. You will be assigned a research method based on the first letter of your last name.

 

Your post will describe the assigned research method and how it is implemented. Discuss how personality researchers use the method and also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the research method assigned. Be sure to mention the appropriate applications of the method you are describing. The overall goal here is to inform the team about the appropriate use of your research method as well as its strengths and weaknesses. Your instructor may reassign research methods as needed for this discussion, so check the announcements for any reassignments.

 

First Letter of Last Name: Research Method:

A-H Correlational: Longitudinal Studies

I-P Experimental Methods

Q-Z Case Study Research Methods

 

 

 

Please complete this second activity by responding to each prompt:

Compare the strengths and weaknesses of their methods with your own. Are there similarities and differences to applications for the methods you are comparing?

 

Prompt 1: When applying for a grant to conduct a major study in personality psychology I believe the research method that should be assigned is Correlational: Longitudinal Studies. There are many pros to this study and some cons that can follow, however I feel this would be the most appropriate. With any study time and money become a concern. Due to the requirements of a longitudinal study these both many come into play. A longitudinal study would track, in this instance, personality over an extended period of time. This study could span over a lifetime. That being said, to capture reliable data a longitudinal study would be the best option. According to, The Personality Puzzle, "longitudinal data show that, on average, people tend to become more socially dominant, agreeable, conscientious, and emotionally stable (lower on neuroticism) over time (FUNDER, pg 230)." Thus leading to a more focused, easier to interpret display of one's true personality. For these purposes I believe this team should be awarded this grant.

 

Funder, D. C. (2016). The Personality Puzzle (Seventh Edition), 7th Edition. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved fromhttps://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780393288032/

 

 

Prompt 2: If applying for a grant to conduct a major study in the field of personality psychology, I would encourage a correlational study. This method of research is highly effective. As with any method of research, correlational studies have both pros and cons. Correlational studies are similar to experimental studies. However, in correlational studies allow the measured variable to be measured as is. In experimental studies, this variable is manipulated. That means, in correlational studies the researchers would measure things as they currently are rather than provoke certain situations, as in experimental. In some situations, experimental designs may reign superior. In cases where a naturalistic approach is favored, correlational studies prove to be the most agreeable.  It is important to note; no study is perfect and all studies come with a certain degree of flaw. Some correlational studies are longitudinal; this means they take place over an extended amount of time. With these types of studies time and money are crucial, which aren't always available in excess. Another concern with correlational studies are their inability to predict causation. Correlation does not allow for researchers to interpret the direction in which variables affect each other. In conclusion, the grant should be submitted for a correlational study. This allows for a more natural observation and allows for an easier interpretation on whether there is a relationship between two variables or not.

 

References

Funder, D. C. (2016). The personality puzzle. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.