Methods of Studying Human Behavior
Methods Of Studying Human Behavior
There are several methods used to study human behavior including Naturalistic Observation, Correlational Research, Experimental Method, Case Study, and the Survey Method, each uses a different type of approach. If I were to do a study on the relationship between alcohol and violence, the method I would use would be the survey research method. (Stangor, 2010) I would use this method because it would not be intrusive, require any possible harm to anyone, and has minimal ethical concerns.
The Survey Research Method is a type of Descriptive Research Design that uses written questionnaires, and interviews to collect data. The people participating in the study are referred to as the Sample, and the group of people the study is wanting to learn about is referred to as the Population. (Stangor, 2010) In order for this method of research to get accurate results, the target population needs to be similar. For instance, gender, among college students, juveniles, where a fatality occurred, or in domestic violence situations. The approach would be the same no matter what population you were focusing the study on and the results would only determine data for that target.
If I were to do a study on domestic violence related to alcohol, the drawbacks could be some people involved in domestic abuse do not report the incident, therefore it could yield lower results. In some states the law may not require a mandatory arrest in domestic violence incidents resulting in lower arrest rates than a state that did. The investigation by the police could play a role as well. If a person was arrested, did they get a blood alcohol level, if they did not that could affect results as well.
The ethical concerns that need to be considered in this method of study are minimal compared to other methods. There is no need to ask paricipants to consume alcohol for the study and no one will endure any harm. The data comes from previous experiences
There are several methods used to study human behavior including Naturalistic Observation, Correlational Research, Experimental Method, Case Study, and the Survey Method, each uses a different type of approach. If I were to do a study on the relationship between alcohol and violence, the method I would use would be the survey research method. (Stangor, 2010) I would use this method because it would not be intrusive, require any possible harm to anyone, and has minimal ethical concerns.
The Survey Research Method is a type of Descriptive Research Design that uses written questionnaires, and interviews to collect data. The people participating in the study are referred to as the Sample, and the group of people the study is wanting to learn about is referred to as the Population. (Stangor, 2010) In order for this method of research to get accurate results, the target population needs to be similar. For instance, gender, among college students, juveniles, where a fatality occurred, or in domestic violence situations. The approach would be the same no matter what population you were focusing the study on and the results would only determine data for that target.
If I were to do a study on domestic violence related to alcohol, the drawbacks could be some people involved in domestic abuse do not report the incident, therefore it could yield lower results. In some states the law may not require a mandatory arrest in domestic violence incidents resulting in lower arrest rates than a state that did. The investigation by the police could play a role as well. If a person was arrested, did they get a blood alcohol level, if they did not that could affect results as well.
The ethical concerns that need to be considered in this method of study are minimal compared to other methods. There is no need to ask paricipants to consume alcohol for the study and no one will endure any harm. The data comes from previous experiences
References: Stangor, C. (2010). Introduction to Psychology. Irvington, NY: Flat World Knowledge, Inc.