Types Of Studies In Psychology -

The factor the researcher changes (e.g., dosage of a new medication).

The group that doesn't get the "treatment," used as a baseline for comparison. 4. Longitudinal vs. Cross-Sectional These refer to the timing of the study: types of studies in psychology

These aim to describe a phenomenon as it naturally occurs without manipulating any variables. The factor the researcher changes (e

These are similar to experiments, but participants aren't randomly assigned. This is often used for ethical or practical reasons—for example, you can't "assign" someone to be a smoker; you have to find people who already smoke. Longitudinal vs

This is the "gold standard" for determining cause and effect.

Correlation does not equal causation. Just because two things happen together (like ice cream sales and sunburns) doesn't mean one caused the other (the sun caused both).

Using questionnaires to gather data on the attitudes or behaviors of a large group of people. 2. Correlational Studies These look for a relationship between two variables.