Research Methodology

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
S. P. PUNE UNIVERSITY, PUNE
SEMESTER-I

EP: 104- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
(Major Paper)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

To acquaint the students with:

1. Basic research concepts and the research process in general
2. Basic terminology of advanced research methods.
3. Understanding and comprehension of the published research.
4. Use of research designs and the APA style of preparing research proposal and report
   writing of the research.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

The students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the understanding of overall research process and about the problem, variables,
   and hypothesis formulation.
2. Exhibit the knowledge of data gathering tools, procedures, and different research designs.
3. Develop conceptual clarity about the applications of factor analysis, other multivariate
   techniques, qualitative approaches and psychological and psychophysical scaling.
4. Develop and apply the skills of describing and evaluating the published research.

1.0. OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH PROCESS AND SURVEY RESEARCH [15]

1.1 Overview of research process and basic research concepts: Problem, variables, hypothesis and operational definitions, APA style of preparing research proposal and writing research report
1.2. Sampling techniques: Methods of data collection: Observation, mail surveys (questionnaires), personal interviews, and telephone interview and internet surveys
1.3. Survey research designs: Cross-sectional, Successive independent samples, longitudinal
1.5. Problems and issues in and applications of survey research

2.0. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS (15)

2.1. Experimental designs: Definition, principles and functions
2.2. Between groups design: Randomised groups design
2.3. Between groups design: Block designs- two groups design, randomized block designs with more than two groups
1.4 Factorial designs: Simple factorial design, factorial design with covariate, randomized block factorial designs
1.5 Conceptual differences among between groups designs, repeated measures design and mixed designs

3.0. OTHER MULTIVARIATE DESIGNS AND QUALITATIVE APPROACH [15]

3.1. Factor Analysis: Introduction and basic terms, overview of extraction methods, overview of rotation methods, concept of higher order factor analysis
3.2. Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis
3.3. Other multivariate techniques: Multiple regression, Multivariate Analysis of Variance, Path Analysis and structural equation. Discriminant functions analysis, canonical correlation.
3.4. Qualitative research approaches
3.5. Analysis of qualitative data

4.0. QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS AND SCALING [15]

4.1. Characteristics and types of quasi-experimental designs: Single group design, pre-test post-test designs
4.2. Non-equivalent control group designs, time series designs, cohort designs
4.3. Programme evaluation research
4.4. Psychophysical scaling: Purpose and nature.
4.5. Psychological scaling: Thurstone –type scales, Likert-type scales (summated rating), Osgood’s Semantic Differential Technique.

BOOKS FOR READING:

1. Shaughnessy, J.J & Zechmeister, E.B. (1997). Research Methods in Psychology. (4th ed).
2. Zechmeister, J. S. Zechmeister, E. B. & Shaughnessy, J. J. (2001). Essentials of Research Methods in Psychology.
3. Robinson, P.W. (1976). Fundamentals of Experimental Psychology. Prentice Hall.
4. Edwards, A. I. (1985). Experimental designs in Psychological research. Harper & Row.
5. Singh, A. K. (2006). Tests, Measurements and Research methods in Behavioural sciences. (5th ed). Patna: Bharati Bhavan.
6. Broota, K. D. (1989). Experimental Designs in Behavioural Research. Wiley Eastern.
7. Edwards, A. L. (1969). Techniques of Attitude Scale Construction. Vakil, Feiffer & Simons.
8. Christensen, L. B., Johnson, R. B.., Lisa, A., Research Methods, Design, and Analysis (Year). 12thEdition, Pearson
9. Nunnally, J. C. & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric Theory. (3rd ed), NY: McGraw
   Hill.
10. Hair, J.F. Anderson, R. E. Tatham, R.L. & Black, W. C. (2003). Multivariate Data Analysis. (5th ed). ND: Pearson Education.
11. Tabachnick, B.G. & Fidell, L.J. (2001). Using Multivariable Statistics. (4th ed).
12. Gorsuch, R. L. (1983). Factor Analysis. (2nd ed).
13. Howitt, D & Cramer, D. (2005). Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology. Pearson Education.
14. Ranjit Kumar (2006). Research Methodology: A step by step guide for beginners. N. D:
    Pearson Education.
15. Richards, Lyn & Morcse, J.M. (2013). READ ME FIRST FOR A USER’S GUIDE TO
    Qualitative Methods. (3rd ed), Sage Publication.