Psychological research goals

There are four main goals/purposes of psychological research:

  • Explore (exploratory) - scope out, get to know, and reveal more about a phenomenon (e.g., what do people think about happiness is?)
  • Describe (descriptive) – describe behaviour, thoughts, emotions etc. (e.g., how happy are people?)
  • Explain (explanatory) – identify causes of psychological experience (e.g., why are some people happier than others?)
  • Predict (predictive) – identify factors that indicate when an event will occur (e.g., what social policy changes can improve happiness?)
Explore/Describe
  • Use observational methods, surveys, case studies.
  • Give a verbal or numerical picture.
  • Describe average or typical features of a group
  • Present basic background information or a context.
  • Describe e.g., characteristics of a group e.g., in terms of age, IQ, personality etc.
  • attitudes to environment – positive or negative – but no indication of why these attitudes exist.
  • Basic background information or a context.
  • Find information to stimulate new explanations. e.g., criteria for classifying mental disorders (e.g., DSM)
Explain
  • Identify factors that indicate when an event will occur
  • Most psychological research has explanation as its goal – how sure we can be about establishing cause & effect depends on the research design used
  • Use correlational methods; correlation between two events or variables
  • Do stressful life events lead to increased physical illness?
  • Do stressful life events lead to increased physical illness?
Predict
  • Use experimental method to test an explanation – usually based on theory
  • e.g., Environmental behaviour is predicted by intentions, attitudes, norms and pbc
  • Clear test of a hypothesis derived from theory
  • Extend a theory or principle in to new areas of issues
  • Provide evidence to support or refute an explanation or prediction

The research goal will influence the research method.