What is the
Fundamental “first principle” of research methods?
(According to the course materials)
Set 1: Definitions & The Research Process
We must not fool ourselves
…as individuals are the easiest people to fool
Define “Research Methods” in an agnostic, functional sense
Set 1: Definitions & The Research Process
Research methods are the tools that help us not fool ourselves
(regardless if approach is qualitative or quantitative)
What are the
Three interdependent elements of research methods
Set 1: Definitions & The Research Process
- Measurement (Generating data)
- Study Design (Collecting data)
- Data Analysis (Making sense of data)
Why are measurement, study design, & data analysis considered “interdependent”
Set 1: Definitions & The Research Process
Becuase one area’s “decisions” inevitably affect the others
For example, your choice of measurement (e.g., an English-language scale) dictates who you can sample and what analysis (e.g., t-test vs. thematic) is possible
What is the “Physics Model” in psychology?
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
It is the traditional philosophy of science adopted by American psychology to emulate the way of knowing in natural sciences, specifically physics
True or False:
Research methods should inform your research objectives
Set 1: Definitions & The Research Process
False. Research objectives must
inform the methods used
(not the other way around)
What are the
First four tenets of the “Physics Model”
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
1. A real world exists.
2. Humans can know this world.
3. Events are fully determined (highly complex causes).
4. The world can only be known via the merger of empiricism and rationalism
What are
Tenets 5 through 8 of the “Physics Model”
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
5. Humans are natural phenomena to which a determinist universe applies
6. Research aims to build universal theories/models
7. All theories are tentative
8. Final “laws” are attainable but always subject to revision
Define
“Realist Ontology”
(within the context of psychology)
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
The assumption that a real world exists independent of our senses and perceptions
(the world will continue to exist even if we’re not there to observe it)
Define
“Nomothetic” orientation
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
Scientific tradition that aims to find universal laws and create generalisable knowledge applicable across time and space
Contrast “Nomothetic” with “Idiographic” orientations
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
Nomothetic seeks universal laws
Idiographic approaches focus on describing the unique meaning or essence of a single individual or event
What is
Karl Popper’s “Regulative Ideal”
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
The practice of acting as though universal laws are achievable to regulate scientific behaviour, while simultaneously acknowledging that all current knowledge is provisional and tentative
Define
“Determinism”
(as it applies to the Physics Model)
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
The belief that everything has a cause, and every event is an effect of prior causes
In psychology, this assumes human behaviour is caused by internal or external factors rather than being “unbounded”
How does “stochastic” science address determinism
Set 2: The “Physics Model” & Mainstream Philosophy
Recognises that although causes exist, they are too many to be accurately predicted, necessitating the adoption of probabilistic (statistical) models instead of simple”laws” of cause and effect.
What is the
Core assumption of “Social Constructionism”
Set 3: Alternative Perspectives & Ways of Knowing
Reality is not an external objective truth but is constructed through human interaction and language
(therefore, there are multiple valid realities)
How do Social Constructionists view the “subject”
(participant)
Set 3: Alternative Perspectives & Ways of Knowing
As an active agent with free will who co-constructs meaning with the researcher
(rather than a passive object driven by deterministic forces)
What are the methodological implications of Social Constructionism
Set 3: Alternative Perspectives & Ways of Knowing
- Prioritises qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups),
- Values researcher subjectivity/biases as assets
- Views context and culture as central to understanding
Define
“Indigenous Psychologies”
Set 3: Alternative Perspectives & Ways of Knowing
Psychological frameworks built from local cultural foundations
(“by, from, about, and for” the culture)
*rather than simply translating Western psychology
What is the
Primary “challenge” Indigenous Psychologies pose to mainstream science?
Set 3: Alternative Perspectives & Ways of Knowing
They reject the claim of universalism, arguing that psychological processes are culturally bound
(especially social and clinical)
What is the
Significance of the “Waitangi Tribunal Claim (Wai 2725)”
(for psychology in Aotearoa)
It argued that the discipline has failed Māori by maintaining Western-dominated, monocultural practices that marginalise Māori worldviews and embed Western values as “universal”
List
Robert Merton’s four “Norms of Science”
(extra points for explaining what they mean)
Set 4: Research Integrity & Scientific Norms
- Universalism: Science evaluated on objective criteria
- Communism: Knowledge is common property and must be shared
- Disinterestedness: Scientists should be value-free and unbiased
- Organised Scepticism: The community weeds out bad ideas through peer review and replication
What are the
Five principles of UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity (2025)?
Set 4: Research Integrity & Scientific Norms
1. Honesty
2. Rigour
3. Transparency
4. Care & Respect
5. Accountability
Define
“Cultural Humility”
(in the context of Aotearoa research)
Set 4: Research Integrity & Scientific Norms
Recognition of our own cultural limitations/biases, acknowledging power imbalances, and centring community voices while being willing to be corrected
How does “Transparency” facilitate research humility?
Set 4: Research Integrity & Scientific Norms
Permits the acknowledgment of errors committed in good faith, ensuring that honest mistakes are seen as productive elements of the research process
