Title: Types of Research Studies | Boundless Psychology
Headings: Types of Research Studies
Types of Research Studies
Descriptive Research
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Key Terms
Case Studies
Correlational Research
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Key Terms
Positive and Negative Correlations
Correlational Strength
Statistical Significance
Benefits of Correlational Research
Limitations of Correlational Research
Experimental Research
Learning Objectives
Key Takeaways
Key Points
Key Terms
Independent and Dependent Variables
Experimental Design
Experimental Design: Important Principles
Control Groups
Random Assignment
Blinding and Experimenter Bias
Counterbalancing
Strengths and Weaknesses of Experimental Research

Content: A tentative conjecture explaining an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem that can be tested by further observation and/or experimentation. Research studies that do not test specific relationships between variables are called descriptive studies. These studies are used to describe general or specific behaviors and attributes that are observed and measured. In the early stages of research it might be difficult to form a hypothesis, especially when there is not any existing literature in the area. In these situations designing an experiment would be premature, as the question of interest is not yet clearly defined as a hypothesis. Often a researcher will begin with a non-experimental approach, such as a descriptive study, to gather more information about the topic before designing an experiment or correlational study to address a specific hypothesis. Descriptive research is distinct from correlational research, in which psychologists formally test whether a relationship exists between two or more variables. Experimental research goes a step further beyond descriptive and correlational research and randomly assigns people to different conditions, using hypothesis testing to make inferences about how these conditions affect behavior. Correlational and experimental research both typically use hypothesis testing, whereas descriptive research does not. Descriptive Research: