research methods
Correlation vs. Causation: A Psychology Headline Rewrite Activity
Rewrite fictional psychology headlines to match their evidence, using original cards, a claim-design-explanation sheet and a teacher discussion key.
How do we know?
Research Methods
Psychology studies behavior and mental processes through evidence. Start here to ask what a study measured, how participants were selected and whether its design supports the conclusion being made.
Start with the research question
A useful first step is to turn a broad interest into a question that could be investigated. Identify the population, the variables and the observation that would count as evidence. A variable needs an operational definition: a stated way to measure or manipulate it, rather than an everyday label such as “good memory.”
Separate association from explanation
In a correlational study, variables are observed together. That pattern alone does not establish that one caused the other: a third variable or reverse direction may explain it. In an experiment, examine the manipulation, comparison conditions and random assignment. Random sampling and random assignment solve different problems; neither removes every limitation.
Read beyond the headline
Look for the study’s method, sample and outcome measure before evaluating its interpretation. Ask whether the conclusion fits this design and this group of participants. A classroom example is an illustration, not a new research finding. When planning a demonstration, keep participation voluntary and avoid collecting sensitive personal information.
Textbook starting point: OpenStax Psychology 2e. Educational material; not diagnosis or treatment advice.
Resources in this topic
research methods
How to Read a Psychology Study: A Claim-and-Evidence Reading Sheet
Use a claim-and-evidence sheet to read a public psychology paper, locate its sample and measures, and write a conclusion that preserves its limits.
research methods
Psychology Research Methods: Practice Questions and Answers
Test research-design decisions with original psychology scenarios, explained distractors, an answer sheet, and a method decision tree.
research methods
Psychology Variables Worksheet: From Labels to Operational Definitions
Revise vague psychology questions into explicit manipulations or measurements with an operational-definition worksheet and worked observational counterexample.