Psychologists, as well as sociologists and doctors, often carry out research projects that fall within the field known as psychological research.
This type of work has very specific characteristics, which we professionals specialising in the printing and layout of theses and other types of documents must take into account when designing the layout of the publication.
How is psychological research carried out, and what are the distinctive features of this type of project? Anyone undertaking a PhD in psychological research should bear the following points in mind:
What is psychological research?
The first thing to do is to answer the question: what is psychological research?
We are referring to any academic project that focuses on assessing the behaviour, experiences or feelings of any social group. The aim is to identify common patterns of behaviour in humans when exposed to certain stimuli.
Traditionally, there has been considerable resistance to accepting this type of work within the scientific community.
However, today the various methods employed by psychologists, sociologists and doctors have shown that it is indeed possible to address people’s behaviours and feelings from an academic perspective.
The most commonly used methods in psychological research
Any example of psychological research fits perfectly with the most common types of research carried out in the academic world. The most widely used methods are as follows:
- Correlational methodology: statistics are used to analyse the choices made in relation to two or more variables. This quantitative data makes it possible to identify trends and, consequently, to make predictions.
- Case studies: research focuses specifically on studying an individual or a group, due to their particular characteristics. A specific, qualitative study is carried out, involving interviews, psychological tests, etc.
- Experimental research: somewhat less structured, experimental research seeks to capture how individuals respond to specific situations that have been manipulated by the researcher. In this way, the effects of this change on the other variables under study are observed.
Applications of psychological research in various fields
Once psychological research has identified patterns of response to situations, experiences or innate behaviours, the real aim of this work begins.
The aim of the second phase is to develop therapies and treatments that enable these individuals to interact more effectively with their surroundings and with themselves.
This work is usually carried out in two main areas:
- Cognitive-behavioural psychology: psychologists working within this framework develop strategies to work with patients and improve their response to certain negative thoughts or behaviours.
- Psychiatric applications: psychological research is also key to the development of certain drugs used in psychiatric medicine.
Each of these factors will determine the appropriate format for your research proposal once it has been drafted. If you want the layout of your thesis or psychological research to do justice to your work, leave it to us.
