As a psychology student, you want to conduct psychological research on ‘Delinquency in
Teenagers’ using experimental method. (1+1+1+1)
A. Propose a hypothesis
B. Name and define all three types of variables
C.What all data do you need for your research
D. Justify how your research will contribute to the problem in question
Answers
The first three chapters introduced you to some broad themes in behavioral research, including the
purpose of research, types of research, ethical issues, and the nature of science. Beginning with this
chapter, we will focus on the details of conducting behavioral research. From a student’s perspective, the
thought of actually doing behavioral research seems like a daunting task. You are likely to say to yourself,
“I couldn’t possibly do research. I’m not a behavioral scientist. I don’t even know how to get started.”
Well, we’re here to tell you that you can do it, and it is not that difficult to get started.
Have you ever asked yourself, “I wonder why people behave that way?” If so, then you have already
begun the research process. Research begins with asking questions. Curiosity about a casual observation
that you have made could initiate a series of questions. For example, you may notice that youth spend
much time watching television and that many of the television programs include references to sex and/or
violence. So you may ask yourself, “Does watching television violence have a negative impact on
personality development?” This is the beginning of a good research question. Topics for research
questions often begin with your own curiosity. This curiosity may be fueled by your own personal
experiences or observations. You may be interested in the topic of memory because you had a
grandmother with Alzheimer’s disease. You may be interested in people’s perceptions of schizophrenics
after taking a course in abnormal psychology. Perhaps the latest “reality show” on television stirs
questions about why people behave in certain ways when placed in certain conditions. Research is so
much more fun when you are pursuing a topic that fascinates you.
For most topics, it is very likely that others have already asked very similar questions and have
conducted research in this area. But a good researcher knows that unanswered questions remain in every
domain of psychology. So, given an area in which you are interested, what is the next step? A researcher
needs to become familiar with the research findings that already exist. These findings are most likely to
be reported in books and journal articles. Several strategies for obtaining this information are outlined in
the following paragraphs.
Answer:
Right from childhood, Santosh was not content with a traditional way of life and felt that if she chose a correct and a rational path, the others around her had to change, not she. She wanted to chart her own course in life, rather than following the age-old customs and traditions.