Young science, psychology, has been persecuted for decades and not accepted by the scientific community. She managed to stand out from philosophy only at the end of the nineteenth century, but even after she had to prove her worth. This was done, first of all, through experimental psychological techniques. They made it possible to find a justification for many scientific theories and make some discoveries that are significant for the world community.
It should be noted that during this period of time the methods of experimental research were the main and only. Scientists only accumulated knowledge in this area, so they urgently needed to find new approaches to the subjects of their research. Over time, the application of the experimental research method has become only part of the methodology and is now used along with other methods to prove the validity of a particular theory.
However, to date, experimental psychology causes a lot of controversy. Scientists cannot determine its permissible boundaries and the place that can be assigned to it in the knowledge system. Despite these difficulties, the methods of conducting experimental studies are of increasing interest every year among specialists in this field and people who wish to apply psychological knowledge in practice.
Research Methods: A Brief Description
Before you plunge completely into the classification of experimental research methods, it is necessary to draw up a general idea of research methods, without which it is difficult to imagine the activities of scientists.
In simple terms, they can be described as a combination of techniques and methods that enable specialists to obtain reliable information about the subject of research. This allows you to build another scientific theory, as well as develop a number of practical recommendations that will be actively used in further work by other scientists.
Since psychology is difficult to imagine without research methods, it is easiest to disassemble them using the example of this science. In addition, research methods in psychology are extremely limited; they are easy to understand even for an outsider. And the result of their application can be very impressive.
Research Methods in Psychology: Types
The main methods are divided into two groups:
- observation;
- experiment.
The first method can be described as the purposeful collection of data on the object of study and analysis of the information received. As a result, he should give an explanation of one or another psychological factors regulating the behavior of the individual.
The observation method has a number of requirements, which we dwell on briefly:
- natural conditions;
- clear focus;
- registration of all received results.
In this case, the methodology has its own procedure and is divided into several subspecies. Since this is not the topic of our article, we will not focus our readers on this information. But we will talk about experimental research methods in more detail.
Experiment: Brief Description and Distinctive Features
Experimental research methods can be described as a whole strategy and a set of actions. It includes tracking a particular process, as well as influencing it by changing certain conditions.Due to this, this or that hypothesis is checked, it can be confirmed or refuted. Moreover, the ability to influence the process and change the initial conditions gives more complete information about the object of study.
The main difference between the method of experimental research and observation is that the situation in which the object of study will be is artificially modeled. Moreover, the organizer actively intervenes in it. Depending on the objectives of the experiment, it can change one or several variables, fixing the changes that are taking place. We can say that the researcher studies not only the object itself and its reactions, but also how the variables interact between themselves and the object.
I would also like to clarify that the experimental technique implies full control over the studied and variables introduced to track reactions. This is another difference between the two methods. If observation makes it impossible to foresee any processes, then the experiment allows them to be predicted and modeled. Also, often researchers deliberately trigger certain reactions by manipulating variables. This allows you to fully explore the object. It is believed that this technique is the only one that can fully prove the viability of a particular theory or hypothesis.
The specifics of the technique and its advantages
The main specificity of the experiment is extremely simple - it is an intervention in the research process in order to change the conditions until all the data is received. This is precisely the main goal of the applied methods of experimental research.
It is impossible not to mention the advantages of the technique. They are quite numerous, which explains its relevance in the scientific world:
- the ability to consciously cause certain mental phenomena;
- the possibility of influencing the experimental conditions;
- identification of causal relationships.
Experimentally, you can get a lot of facts, because it allows you to clearly establish the relationship between changing conditions and psychological processes.
Limitations in the use of the experiment
The choice of experimental research method is not suitable for all situations. After all, organizing a competent experiment is quite difficult. Experts argue that it should be modeled in such a way that the object of study does not even suspect its participation in certain processes.
Unfortunately, this is not always possible, and then there is a danger that the object of study itself will begin to influence the results of the process. The subject may feel fear, a desire to present himself in a more favorable light, which will not allow him to obtain information about his true psychological reactions.
Also in some psychological experiments it is unacceptable to arbitrarily change variables. This action will not allow to identify cause-effect relationships and nullifies all the advantages of the discussed methodology.
Another difficulty is that in a number of experiments, the researcher and the object of study must communicate closely with each other. In this case, an emotional connection is established between them, which can affect the behavior of the object. In this case, the result cannot be considered absolutely pure and requires additional research. Perhaps in this case other methods should be used.
Types of Experiment
In the scientific world, it is customary to distinguish two types of experiment:
- laboratory research methods;
- natural experiment.
Briefly described, the laboratory experiment consists in thorough preparation. It takes place in special rooms with a large amount of equipment, while all objects are aware that they are taking part in research. However, the true goals of what is happening may be hidden from them.
A natural experiment involves a thorough concealment from the object of all data on its involvement in the scientific process.
Laboratory experiment
Considering laboratory research methods more broadly, we can present them as modeling the activity of an object in a limited space. In this case, all possible methods of study are used, a very important nuance is the use of modern technical means and the development of special instructions. It must be adhered to by the individual participating in the experiment, and all its participants.
The scientific data obtained as a result should be as clean as possible, this is only possible subject to a complete repetition of natural conditions in a limited space. However, it is worth considering that it is impossible to fully reproduce these conditions. Usually this is done only fragmentarily. This technique combines the main advantages and disadvantages of the experiment, as a psychological study. On the one hand, it allows you to control all the variables introduced into the process as accurately as possible, and on the other hand, it does not hide the involvement of the object in the research process.
Natural experiment
The experimental-theoretical research method, later called “natural”, was first put into practice at the beginning of the twentieth century. Its essence lies in the ignorance of the object of the study about the experiment and the conditions as close as possible to its usual habitat.
The main advantage of this technique is the ability of the researcher to actively influence the subject and the process itself, but at the same time remain not involved in all actions. This gives an incredible purity of the obtained data, but at the same time makes it impossible to repeat the experiment. Once in similar conditions, the object begins to realize that they are purposefully created.
In recent years, the scientific world has regularly debated on the ethics of such a technique. The fact is that during the experiment, a hidden technique is used. The life of an individual becomes a source of close attention, while researchers do not receive his consent to participate in the process. An experiment can become a real psychological trauma if its conditions are revealed.
Experiment Stages
It should be borne in mind that each experiment consists of certain stages. This nuance is very important for the purity of the process:
- Defining goals and objectives. This stage is considered decisive, it identifies the relevance of the problem. In parallel, a plan is being built that should take into account all the knowledge accumulated on the topic under study.
- In the second stage, the experiment takes place directly. It consists in the impact of researchers on the outside world. In this case, a special technique is developed. It directly depends on the tasks and problems being studied. Moreover, it may well become universal, it all depends on how much the problems of the experiment are in demand.
Moreover, the methods for processing experimental studies, depending on the tasks, remain unchanged. The main thing in this process remains, we repeat, the purity of the data obtained.
Classification of experiments
This issue requires a detailed consideration, since today the classification is directly dependent on many factors. Usually it is made dependent on two characteristics. It is worth talking about them in detail.
According to the result of exposure, three types of experiments are distinguished:
- Ascertaining. In the process of research, the object does not form any new settings, new properties do not appear, and existing ones do not receive proper development. According to this classification, the experimenter takes a position similar to the behavior of an outside observer.
- Formative. Here, the participation of the experiment organizer is the most active.In many cases, the object is completely changing, often these changes are irreversible. At the same time, the organization of the experiment itself allows not only to register the obtained data, but also to reveal the dynamics, mechanisms of influence, the stages of the formation of certain psychological processes, and so on.
- Pathopsychological. This experiment can be put in a special category, since researchers are little interested in the final results. In the process of its impact on the object, the ways in which the individual comes to this result are revealed and studied. It can be said that thought processes undergo a major assessment.
Experts classify experiments by level of awareness:
- full awareness of the object about all the nuances of the future experiment;
- partial awareness of the individual, where, in addition to specific facts, false hypotheses can provide him;
- concealment of tasks, goals and terms of the experiment (often the subject does not even have an idea that he has become an object of observation).
In addition to the above categories, control and aerobatic experiments can also be called.
Subject work and data processing
The object of research and the experimenter himself must be in some kind of interaction. This moment is the most difficult, so the technique cannot work without developing an instruction.
It should be borne in mind that the main task is not the development of such a text itself, but understanding by the participants of the experiment. It is for this that the psychologist is primarily responsible, because often in the same conditions people perceive information in completely different ways. Some immediately understand all the requirements specified in the instructions, but others take some time. An experiment cannot be started until all of its participants are ready.
Another problem is the selection of objects. Based on the results shown by one or another category of subjects, conclusions will be drawn on a fairly extensive sociological group. Therefore, researchers often pick up the first objects erroneously, and only then more suitable groups of individuals are formed. But even in this case, they are divided into two groups.
An instruction issued to objects is created according to general rules. It should reflect the following points:
- goal and tasks;
- the course and features of what is happening.
In addition, the text should be as informative and concise as possible.
Processing the results takes a long time. It is important to consider how distorted they were during the experiment. Psychology knows cases where a researcher, deeply convinced of the consistency of his theory, influenced the behavior of objects. Also, the participants in the experiment themselves can in the process guess the tasks and goals of everything that happens, involuntarily adjusting to the expected result.