Correlational and Experimental Approaches to Personality Research

Correlational and Experimental Approaches to Personality Research

Response 1

Hello Roberta,

Your explanation of correlational studies in personality psychology effectively highlights their importance. As you rightly pointed out, correlational methods enable the researchers to establish the correlation between variables in real-life situations. This method is useful because it can be performed comparatively rapidly and with less expenditure than experimental methods. Nevertheless, causal relationships cannot be ascertained from the findings because correlation does not necessarily mean causation. In contrast to observational studies, experimental methods allow inferring causality based on the manipulation of variables, which is the direct advantage of the approach. Still, both methods are valuable in personality research (Bhandari, 2021).

Correlational studies are perfect for testing hypotheses and where control is impossible or unethical. That is why comprehension of the peculiarities of both methods is crucial to selecting the most effective approach for the given research and obtaining the correct and valuable results. According to Rees et al. (2021), the integration of these approaches can present a complete picture of personality characteristics and their effects on behavior and, in effect, strengthen the reliability of knowledge gained.

References

Bhandari, P. (2021). Correlational Research | Definition, Methods and Examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/correlational-research/

Rees, C. A., Monuteaux, M. C., Vendela Herdell, Fleegler, E. W., & Bourgeois, F. T. (2021). Correlation Between National Institutes of Health Funding for Pediatric Research and Pediatric Disease Burden in the US. JAMA Pediatrics, 175(12), 1236–1236. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.3360

Response 2

Hello Maria,

Your overview of the highlights of the experimental method strongly highlights its importance in personality research. Experimental methods differ from correlational and case study methods in that the former allows for the control of variables and the condition to make causality inferences. Nevertheless, as you pointed out, the laboratory environment and the necessity to abide by ethical rules can sometimes present an oversimplified picture. In turn, correlational studies are useful for offering naturalistic patterns but fail to establish causation (Walters, 2020).

Case study methods provide detailed and rich information, but the information or data generally cannot be generalized. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages and can be applied depending on the research questions. This way, researchers will be aware of these differences to either select the best method for their particular study or use more than one method to complement each other and increase the reliability of the results. Control over variables is important in hypothesis testing in experimental methods, while correlational and case methods offer preliminary data and richness of data. As Renjith et al. (2021) suggested, combining approaches can provide a more comprehensive picture of personality dynamics and guarantee that the exploration is exhaustive and practice-oriented.

References

Renjith, V., Yesodharan, R., Noronha, J., Ladd, E., & George, A. (2021). Qualitative Methods in Health Care Research. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 12(1), 20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8106287/

Walters, S. (2020). 2.2 Research Designs in Psychology. Pressbooks.bccampus.ca. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/psychcapilano/chapter/3-2-psychologists-use-descriptive-correlational-and-experimental-research-designs-to-understand-behaviour/

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PROMPT: This discussion will focus on the following research methods used in personality psychology:

Correlational Studies
Experimental Studies
Case Methods
Imagine your team is applying for a grant to conduct a major study in personality psychology. Before getting into the specifics of the study, the team leader has asked each team member to discuss one of the different research methods available in personality psychology. You will be assigned a research method based on the first letter of your last name.

Your initial post will describe the assigned research method and how it is implemented. Discuss how personality researchers use the method and also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the research method assigned. Be sure to mention the appropriate applications of the method you are describing. The overall goal here is to inform the team about the appropriate use of your research method as well as its strengths and weaknesses. Your instructor may reassign research methods as needed for this discussion, so check the announcements for any reassignments.

First Letter of Last Name Research Method
A–H Correlational Studies
I–P Experimental Methods
Q–Z Case Study Research Methods

****The first letter of my last name is L***

READING RESOURCES: Textbook: The Personality Puzzle, Chapters 1, 2, and pages 54—72

https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=09f01b2e-2648-47c5-8a74-d72ca34728cc%40redis&ppid=pp_Cover&vid=0&format=EB

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