Identify the most appropriate research method to answer three of the below research questions: Psychology Research Paper, TCD, Ireland

SECTION 1: 

For this section, you will need to identify the most appropriate research method to answer three of the below research questions. Ensure that you use empirical sources to support why the method would be best suited to the question. You have approximately 300 words for each of your three answers.

1. Does hot weather make people riot/protest?
2. Does using Facebook make people more narcissistic?
3. Are children who use text abbreviations (e.g., ‘Gr8’) worse at reading and spelling than other children?
4. Is instant access to limitless information via the Internet making us less intelligent?
5. Does owning a pet mean you are less likely to be anxious?

We are looking for you to show your understanding of the four core research methods covered during weeks 2-4. Your answers should demonstrate knowledge whilst presenting a convincing explanation that is well written, coherent, and compelling. Please place your references at the bottom of the section

Section 2: 

For section 2 you will need to reflect on the four core research methods studied in the first few weeks and write a short essay of approximately 1,000 words seeking to ‘‘Critically evaluate whether psychological research should be ‘nomothetic’ and search for laws or ‘idiographic’ and focus on meaning.”

Things to consider in your write up;

•  Identify the main issues from the essay title
• What are the nomothetic and idiographic approaches?
• Contrast what each approach offers in better understanding behaviour?
• What limitations does each approach suffer?
• Make an objective case?
• You need to read wide and use both historical and contemporary individuals to make a case both ways.

Please place your references at the bottom of the section.

Descriptive Analysis

Section 3 of the Proforma will allow you to submit evidence demonstrating your understanding, knowledge, and descriptive analysis reporting skills. In any quantitative research report, the descriptive analysis will always start your results section off and provide your reader with the first opportunity to understand the data collected from your research. For any lay person reading the report who may not understand the inferential (significance) analysis that will follow, the descriptive analysis is fundamental to their understanding. It is therefore essential that you can select, present and communicate your descriptive analysis effectively. Through carrying out this task we are looking for you to develop good practice in your reporting of descriptive analysis.

SECTION 3: Descriptive Analysis Write Up

The descriptive analysis write-up task will be given to you in the Workshop folder in week 7. You will be required to report the descriptive analyses carried out in three different formats (in-text reporting (as though for part of a results section), a table, and a figure). We will be applying the American Psychological Association (APA) 7^th Edition formatting to our reporting for all your report writing on this course including your final Independent Psychology Project dissertation report, and so it is important that you familiarise yourself with that as soon as possible (please see guidance in the ‘Report Writing/Assignment Guidance’ section on the 7079PY Aula Page). In accordance with APA reporting you would typically only report descriptive data in one of the three format options, however, here we are looking to assess your write-up skills so want you to present all three formats. You will have an opportunity for guided practice, for example reporting to compare with in the Workshop Activity before then attempting the descriptive analysis by yourself and reporting in the Section 3 page(s) in the ‘submission document’