CBSE-NET (UGC) Psychology (Paper-II & Paper-III): Questions 2447 - 2452 of 4552

Instructions: Read the following paragraph and answer the five questions that follow: (December)

The research process usually begins with the identification and formulation of research problem. Once the problem is identified, the appropriate hypotheses are developed. The hypotheses are tentative solutions to the problem and represent the conjectural statements of relationship among two or more variables. The hypotheses could be classified in various ways, such as directional vs. non-directional, correlational vs. causal etc. Edwards classified the variables in psychological research as stimulus variables, organismic variables and behavioral variables. The variables are classified as the continuous variables and discrete variables, the latter having two subtypes - the real discrete variables and artificially discrete variables. The variables in research need to be properly operationalized. Robinson classified the psychological studies in four categories - Laboratory experiments, Field experiments; Ex post facto field studies and Ex post facto analysis of experiment (slightly modified). The fourth category, on its own, is accorded less respect but is essential for the advancement of science.