Types of Experimental Research Methodologies

Natural observation occurs when researchers observe participants in their natural setting. When researchers use natural observation they do not change the environment the participants are in and the researchers do nothing to change the behavior of the participants. Natural observation is used when researchers are looking for a particular behavior but this can be a very time consuming method of research. The researcher has no guarantee that he or she will witness the particular behavior he or she is looking for.

The second methodology used in gaining qualitative and quantitative data is the survey method. The survey method is a method that polls or questions a large group of people on a particular subject. Researchers do have to trust participants and hope that the participants taking the survey answer the questions honestly. The researchers also have to ensure they have a proper sample of people to poll. The survey method is quick and very efficient but often in-depth knowledge is not something a researcher can obtain from a survey.

The third methodology researchers' use is case studies. Case studies are a way of gaining detailed information to develop a general idea about a behavior or behaviors. Researchers study and observe one participant or a small group of participants to obtain as much information as possible. Case studies are used when researchers would like to gain more information on a particular circumstance or rare disorder. Case studies require a great deal of time, can be expensive but they can reveal a great deal of information.

Correlational design occurs when researchers measure the relationship between two different variables. Correlations are either positive or negative; positive correlation is defined by a variable that goes up and the other variable goes up or if one variable goes down the other variable goes down. Negative correlation is one variable does the opposite of the other variable. Researchers have to be careful because