NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 3 Methods of Psychological Enquiry – I

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NIOS Class 12 Psychology Chapter 3 Methods of Psychological Enquiry – I

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Methods of Psychological Enquiry – I

Chapter: 3

PART – I

Module – 1: Foundations of Psychology

Intext Questions 3.1

1. List the five goals of psychological research.

Ans: 

Goals of Psychological Research	Case Analysis
To Describe –	Arpit with his constant weight gain is becoming increasingly unhealthy.
To Explain	Arpit seems to be gaining weight because he spends most of the time playing video games and eating junk food and does not engage in any physical activity.
To Predict –	Arpit can keep a check on his extra weight if he starts playing less video games and consuming less junk food (as the explanation offered suggests a link between playing video games and eating junk food and weight gain).
To Control –	By restricting the number of hours for playing video games and fixing 1–2 days in a week when he can have junk food, Arpit’s behaviour could be controlled so that he spends less time playing video games, consumes less junk food and thus controls his weight gain.
To Improve	Arpit could be encouraged to get involved in some outdoor activity or sport that is of interest to him which could gradually reduce the time he spends on playing video games and eating junk. Gradually, with better fitness levels, he could be encouraged to start playing football with his friends again and get back to his active life.

2. Fill in the blanks with suitable answers:

(i) The goal of scientific Psychology is to describe ________ in detail.

Ans: behaviour.

(ii) In contrast to other methods, scientific knowledge of Psychology is _________.

Ans: empirical.

(iii) Psychologists focus their attention on understanding behavior, as well as the _________ and _________ processes that underlie behaviour.

Ans: cognitive (mental) and physiological (body).

Intext Questions 3.2

State whether the following statements are True or False:

1. Interview method is used in Qualitative research. (True/False)

Ans: True.

2. Basic research is same as fundamental research. (True/False)

Ans: True.

3. Fundamental research is directed at problem solving. (True/False)

Ans: False.

4. Field Research is carried out in artificial lab settings. (True/False)

Ans: False.

5. Qualitative research involves only numerical data. (True/False)

Ans: False.

Intext Questions 3.3

1. State whether the following statements are True or False:

(a) Experiment is observation under controlled condition. (True/False)

Ans: True.

(b) Independent Variable is manipulated by the researcher. (True/False)

Ans: True.

(c) Control group does not receive the treatment of IV. (True/False)

Ans: True.

(d) Control group needs to be different from experimental group with respect to every aspect. (True/False)

Ans: False.

(e) The value of correlation can only be positive. (True/False)

Ans: False.

2. List the three types of research designs.

Ans: The Three types of research are:

(i) Descriptive research design.

(ii) Correlational research design.

(iii) Experimental research design.

3. Match the following.

Column A	Column B
(a) Descriptive Research.	(i) Manipulation of IV and measurement of DV.
(b) Correlational Research.	(ii) Describing the existing state of affairs.
(c) Experimental Research.	(iii) Studies relationship between variables.

Ans: 

Column A	Column B
(a) Descriptive Research.	(ii) Describing the existing state of affairs.
(b) Correlational Research.	(iii) Studies relationship between variables.
(c) Experimental Research.	(i) Manipulation of IV and measurement of DV.

Intext Questions 3.4

1. Name the five goals of Psychological Research.

Ans: Name of the five goals are: To Describe, To Explain, To Predict, To Control, To Improve.

2. Describe the different components of statistics used in psychological research.

Ans: (i) Descriptive Statistics: Used to systematically organize and summarise raw data (e.g., through frequency tables, bar diagrams, etc.

(ii) Inferential Statistics: Used to draw meaningful conclusions about a population from a study conducted on a representative sample.

TERMINAL EXERCISES

1. What are the goals of psychological research?

Ans: Psychological research is a systematic tool used to understand the complexities of the human mind and behaviour. Its five basic goals are:

To Describe: The first goal is to observe behaviour and describe what was observed as objectively and minutely as possible. Example: Rajat seems unable to finish his homework.

To Explain: Psychologists go beyond obvious observations to explain why a particular behaviour occurred. Example: Rajat seems unable to finish his homework because he watches too much television.

To Predict: Researchers attempt to establish predictions about future occurrences. By understanding the link between variables (such as watching television and homework completion), they can predict outcomes.

To Control: This involves altering, restricting, or managing behaviour. Example: Restricting Rajat’s TV-watching hours to control the behavior and ensure he finishes his homework on time.

To Improve: The ultimate goal is to support positive behavioral changes that constructively improve a person’s life. Example: Teaching Rajat self-control so he gradually reduces his television viewing on his own.

2. What are the types of psychological research?

Ans: Psychological research can be classified in three major ways:

On the basis of Goals:

(i) Fundamental (Basic) Research: Aims to discover, describe, and understand the elementary features of behaviour. It traditionally focuses on theoretical cognitive and bodily aspects like problem-solving, memory, and learning. Example: Investigating how information is stored and retrieved from memory.

(ii) Applied Research: Deals with specific, practical problems in real-life contexts. It is concerned with finding solutions to immediate issues and putting them to work to help others. Example: Developing strategies to promote safe driving practices, such as helmet and seat belt usage among youngsters.

On the basis of Setting:

(i) Laboratory Research: Typically conducted in a highly controlled, artificial laboratory setting. Here, the researcher has close control over variables to isolate specific effects. Example: Investigating if proper lighting conditions improve reading accuracy.

(ii) Field Research: Carried out in natural, real-life settings to find practical solutions or test laboratory findings in the real world. Example: Studying the coping strategies used by survivors of a natural disaster like an earthquake.

On the basis of Methods Employed:

(i) Quantitative Research: Involves collecting numerical data and subjecting it to statistical analyses. Its primary methods include experimental and correlational research.

(ii) Qualitative Research: Adopts a comprehensive, descriptive, and realistic approach where obtained data cannot be easily summarized numerically. Its methods include face-to-face interviews, natural observations, and case studies.

3. What is a research design? Explain the three types of research designs that Psychologists use in their research.

Ans: A research design is the specific plan or method a researcher uses to collect, analyze, and interpret data. 

Psychologists use three major types of research designs:

(i) Descriptive Research: Designed to provide a snapshot or picture of the current state of affairs. It describes observed behaviours and attributes in detail but does not assess relationships among variables or make predictions.

(ii) Correlational Research: Designed to discover statistical relationships among variables. This design allows researchers to predict future events from present ones, though it does not establish cause-and-effect relationships.

(iii) Experimental Research: Designed to provide definitive conclusions about causal (cause-and-effect) relationships among variables. It involves creating comparable groups of participants, manipulating a given experience (independent variable), and measuring the resulting effects (dependent variable).

4. Discuss the difference between correlational and experimental method.

Ans: Manipulation of Variables: In an experiment, the researcher actively manipulates an independent variable to observe its direct impact on a dependent variable. In a correlational study, there is no independent variable to manipulate; the researcher simply measures naturally occurring variables to see if they are related.

Control over Extraneous Variables: Experimental designs attempt to strictly control extraneous variables to prevent them from affecting the results. Correlational designs do not exercise active experimental control over variables.

Causation vs. Prediction: Experiments isolate causes and can predict cause-and-effect (causation) relationships. Correlational research can only identify statistical relationships and predict the likelihood of future events, but it cannot establish causation (correlation does not equal causation).

Ethical and Practical Feasibility: Correlational designs are used when manipulating variables is impossible or unethical (e.g., studying the impact of everyday stress on health or alcohol consumption on liver damage), whereas experimental designs are constrained by these ethical limits.

5. What is the difference between Descriptive and Inferential Statistics?

Ans: Descriptive Statistics: The primary purpose of descriptive statistics is to systematically organize and summarize raw data. It transforms unorganized, meaningless raw scores into a structured format through frequency tables, relative frequencies, percentages, and graphical representations (like bar diagrams, frequency polygons, or pie charts).

Inferential Statistics: The primary purpose of inferential statistics is to draw meaningful conclusions, predictions, or inferences about conditions that exist in a larger population based on the systematic study of a smaller, representative sample.