Personal Investigation: Investigation 1

Conducting Initial Research

Begin by choosing a topic for your investigation. This should be a subject area that is of interest to you and is relevant to the field of Psychology.
Once an area of interest is identified, focus on fine-tuning the research question that will guide your investigation.
Conduct a thorough literature review to understand existing research and theories related to your chosen topic.

Identify an appropriate research design for your investigation. This could be experimental, correlational, observational, etc., based on the nature of your research question.
After deciding the research design, decide on the sample, measures, and procedures to collect data.
Set out clear, attainable, and specific aims and hypotheses for your investigation. Remember to formulate both null and alternative hypotheses.

Collect the data ethically and effectively. This involves gaining informed consent from the participants, ensuring their right to withdraw, and safeguarding their anonymity and confidentiality.
Use standardised instructions and procedures to ensure consistency in data collection.

Choose the appropriate inferential statistical test to analyse your data, such as the t-test, chi-square test, ANOVA, or correlation depending on your research design and data type.
Understand the meaning of the p-value you obtain from your statistical test. Remember that a p-value of less than 0.05 indicates a statistically significant result.

Interpret your results in the context of your hypotheses. Decide whether to accept or reject your null hypothesis based on the statistical results.
Reflect on the implications of your findings within the wider context of the existing literature and theories you reviewed.
Identify any limitations of your investigation and suggest possible areas for further research.
Be careful to avoid making over-generalisations from your findings and consider any errors that may have occurred during your investigation.